Where were you when the Cycle broke?
by y3k
Summary: The Rebel takes the King, the Witness is maimed. One month after Homura Akemi's ascension and sixty years after the Last Dragonborn defeated Alduin, everything went straight to Oblivion. Literally; "You tore the concept of Hope in two" Neloth said with a frown, "Did you really think there wouldn't be consequences?" On Hiatus.
1. Prologue: War in Heaven

**PROLOGUE: WAR IN HEAVEN**

* * *

Homura frowned as she casually passed over the body of an unconscious magical girl. She hadn't bothered to catch her name before her Clara Dolls had cut her down, but she'd narrowed her time period to 'probably' around sixth century Greece, if the clothing and accent were anything to go by.

A Mayan girl in a stylized priestess outfit came at her next. The demon simply waved her hand with a single graceful motion, and then as if reality itself bent, the girl's body was sent speeding into the nearest building. Elsewhere, the scattered remains of the would-be rescue force from the Law of Cycles were being picked off one by one by her Clara Dolls...all except one, of course. The leader, Joan of Arc herself, stood before Homura battered but defiant. The french girl had already survived one go-around with one of Homura's familiars (as the girl's limp could attest to), and Homura had to admit she was tougher than most.

Homura's paradise was almost exactly a month old to the day. But her desire for a peaceful world seemed only further than ever. Every day was a fresh new hell: wraith attacks of ever-increasing size and scope were on an exponential rise in occurrence. What had started as simple local appearences that she could easily repress and contain had evolved into galactic threats that had by now wiped out a number of civilizations. She'd kept Earth safe and had the sectors in question quarantined, but the damage had still been done, and the truth was she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep everything running as she was—something that worried her greatly, especially since she couldn't pin down WHY they were increasing in intensity at all.

It was almost like the universe itself was taunting her, as if it was reacting to her attempts to control and subdue it. She'd tried to create a perfect garden, a world without strife or grief, where everyone lead happy lives, something much better than what had come before. But the more she tried to make it perfect, the more it rebelled. The more it defied her.

The Incubators of course were always whining about entropy, about how her meticulous gardening of the universe was robbing it of its energy. About how she was wildly overspending her budget, about how she wasn't doing enough to stave off heat death. 'Madoka had never been this way', they tried to reason even as she made them hurt. Madoka had let things be and had let events unfold and run their course naturally.

She'd ignored them of course; that was a distant problem for another time. Who cared about what happened to the universe in a trillion years. Let it die.

...And then two weeks ago stars began to blink out. A trickle at first, one anomaly here, another there. But now the trickle was becoming a steady stream and as the Incubators began to panic more and more, even Homura was becoming worried. She rebuilt the stars of course, but that took energy and material.

Last week Homura had had to deal with her first false vacuum event in an area of space six billion light-years away. She'd managed to contain it, but it had been followed up by two more, then four, then eight...and now she was plugging holes in space-time by the thousands. Every problem seemed to be rising exponentially, and she had no reason for why any of it was happening.

More...locally there was the problem of Sayaka Miki, ever the thorn in Homura's side, and one of the big reasons Homura couldn't turn her back on Earth for even a second. Yesterday had marked the bluenette's third go at insurrection. The damned fool had finally wised up and sought out allies in Mami and Kyoko, an attempt that hadn't gone well for her. At least Kyoko was finally pulling her weight by turning her in, but it still left Homura exasperated, especially considering she was fairly certain at least one instance of Sayaka reclaiming her memories had been spurred on by the Incubators working behind her back; something she'd punished them dearly for. What did she have to do to keep Sayaka mind-wiped and docile?

None of those issue helped her problems with Madoka, as at any given moment her friend was ready to re-ascend to godhood unless Homura kept a constant eye on her—something that had gradually forced Homura to isolate Madoka more and more until a better solution could be found since she was too busy trying to keep reality from imploding. Right now the poor girl was restricted to very basic routines around her house, with Homura's familiars keeping a careful eye on the premise. If this went on for much longer, Homura was going to be forced to simply put her in stasis until she could get everything under control.

And finally, there was _this_ glorious mess she found herself cleaning up, as if she wasn't already pulling her hair out in a fit of stress and rage. Normally she'd just will this entire scenario away, mindwiping everyone on the spot and finding a nice role for them to play. But magical girls from the Law of Cycles were a smidge more mentally resilient at that than the average layperson, and with a whole group of them it would take time. She'd need to neutralize them first, at which point she would almost be asking herself 'why bother?'. And even as she was overseeing this slaughter here, she was busy all across the cosmos with a billion other problems. Running the universe was taxing, and Homura was _exhausted _and _weary_ and she didn't know what to do.

Had it been like this for Madoka? It couldn't have. How had she kept everything together? Why was it all falling apart now? Why couldn't she just succeed at something for once in her worthless life?

The street in front of Homura's apartment looked like a bomb had gone off, with debris strewn about and fires blazing. Of course Madoka had had a backup plan in case the Incubators had managed to trap her in the isolation field; Homura felt particularly stupid by not considering the possibility. A month in and the dead man's switch set by the Law of Cycles before her rescue attempt on Homura had finally flipped—hence why the demon was now facing off against an entire flight of very angry angels demanding to know where their goddess had gone. They'd almost gotten to her too, before Homura had caught on; the demon repressed a shiver at thinking about how if Kyoko hadn't tipped her off, she'd have lost everything by now.

And so she'd taken the field personally; she was irritated and frustrated enough that she'd decided to take a more...personal approach.

...Speaking of…

Homura approached Tart, "Lay down your weapon and this will all be over. I would rather not have to hurt you".

Tart cast her angered gaze at the crumpled remains of her allies that littered the street, "...Somehow, I doubt that. Where is Madoka Kaname?"

"Somewhere safe" Homura replied with a lazy smirk at the injured knight, "Don't worry, she's far beyond your reach"...Something tingled in the back of Homura's mind. Something was wrong with NGC 2841, a galaxy forty-six million light-years away.

Tart considered her next move carefully, "...You have torn Hope in two. Have you really fallen so far from grace that you do you not care about the consequences?"

...It was gone? An entire galaxy was gone? How was that even possible? The stars hadn't gone out there. No sudden supernovas. No sudden black holes. No false vacuums. The space-time the galaxy had occupied simply wasn't there anymore. It was like it had just...fallen out of the bottom of the universe.

That was impossible.

"I don't care about anything except keeping Madoka safe and happy" Homura replied, her facade fading back into seriousness, "Return to the Law of Cycles. You don't belong here".

Tart's grip on her sword tightened "Not without our Lady".

Homura's response was short, "Then I'm afraid you will die like the rest". She knew the French girl was at her limit; whatever the knight's capabilities were, they paled against the devil herself.

"LA LUMIERE!"

Homura simply stood there, letting a magical sigil take the brunt of the attack. The next thing Tart knew, Homura was behind her, laying a loving hand on her cheek. Tart spun back around in shock, backing away...and right into the pin-spear of one of the Clara Dolls. It struck through armor and flesh, stabbing through Tart's abdomen. The knight screamed in pain as she hit the ground, blood pooling out as the demon walked around her.

"You should have taken my offer" Homura said, "You could have avoided this".

"I'd...I'd never bow to you, d-demon" Tart managed to spurt out.

"You're not the first to tell me that, and you won't be the last" Homura lazily replied. Honestly, where _did_ the Incubators keep finding these would-be hero types? "Don't worry, soon enough you won't remember any of this. Be glad I am so merciful a demon to give you a new chance at life".

"TIRO FINALE!"

The impact of Mami's cannon struck bare concrete. She'd narrowly avoided Tart, but missed Homura entirely as the demon had simply reappeared atop the nearest building.

"I was wondering when you'd reveal yourself" Homura blandly noted the arrival of her one-time mentor, "Always the opportunist to show off".

Ignoring the barb, Mami took stock of the situation in disapproval, of the mangled bodies Homura had left in her wake, of the knight that was bleeding out behind her, "...executing people in cold blood, are we? That's cruel". She hadn't wanted to believe Homura had fallen so low when Sayaka had told her and reawakened her memories, but this was undeniable proof.

In truth she didn't want this. Homura didn't want this war, she didn't want to massacre these girls. She just wanted things to be _quiet_ and _happy._ Why couldn't they just sit down and allow Madoka her happy life? After everything she'd done for them and they still wanted _more._

But well, she was a demon. She was the embodiment of evil, and she had crossed that moral threshold long ago. There was no reason to hold back now, not when Madoka's life was at stake. They had to be made an example of. Besides, they could be easily patched up later when Homura found new lives for them.

The demon brushed her hair back, her lazy smile returning as she looked down at Mami, "It's war, these things happen. They shouldn't have come down here if they didn't want to die".

Mami's eyes narrowed, "You don't have to do this, Homura. Madoka offered you salvation". When Homura's grin faded but she said nothing, Mami continued, pointing one of her muskets at her former friend, "Where are Sayaka Miki and Madoka Kaname?"

For a moment Homura thought about wiping Mami's memories right then and there. The fight was over; Tart's flight was down and out, and now Homura could begin cleaning up. She would take each magical girl to an isolated location and either secure their loyalty before giving them a new life far away from Mitakihara, or if they refused...well, she would not abide by a dozen more Sayakas.

But the truth was that no matter what Homura seemed to do, Sayaka herself would always retain the potential to be a headache, especially now that she'd been trying to rally the others to her cause. Homura would have to isolate her diplomatically, and so ultimately she had decided on a different track.

"Madoka is in a safe place, have no fear of that. As for Sayaka, you might want to ask them" Homura replied, before snapping her fingers.

Mami's confusion was quickly replaced by both disappointment and grief as two familiar girls dropped down between them, battle-ready. Kyoko she'd expected after the other girl had essentially blown them off before the war meeting but...

"...Nagisa?" Mami asked, heartbroken as her musket wavered some, "Why?"

Nagisa shifted uncomfortably, in contrast with the redhead's battle stance, "...Please don't be mad. It's the only way I could stay" she said in a small voice.

"...Traitor..." Tart managed to spit out at Nagisa, "She trusted you. W-we all trusted you". Nagisa retreated a bit, closer to Kyoko for protection.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Mami. Join us, and we can put everything back to normal" Kyoko said, clearly not enjoying this any more than Nagisa but far more determined to see it through.

Mami's efforts redoubled, "Where is Sayaka? What have you done with her?"

"Relax" Kyoko said with a sigh, "She's fine. Homura's just wiping her memories again. Soon she'll be back with us good as new like nothing ever happened".

"That's how you treat your friend? She's not a doll for you to wind up!"

Kyoko snapped at that as anger boiled up, "Hey! It's not my fault she's being an idiot again. In case you didn't notice, Homura's the only one keeping this all together. We let the Law of Cycles free, and then Sayaka and Nagisa die again, I go back to being homeless, and we all get to go back to fighting for our lives on a daily basis instead of going to school and living like normal goddamn kids for once. But hey, at least you get your moral high-ground, huh?"

"Listen to her, Mami" Homura said with a dramatic flair, "All I want is for this nonsense to end and for everything to go back to the way it should".

Anything else Homura would have said died in her throat. Problems were increasing across the board; more wraith blooms, more quantum destabilization events, more stars going out. Two more galaxies had vanished. Her attention shifted away from this squabble as she attempted to fix the damage.

Mami sighed, she got where Kyoko and Homura were coming from, she really did. But this...it wasn't right. She knew it wasn't right. "...Even so" she aimed her gun at Kyoko, "I can't allow this false world to exist. I can't allow you to hold people against their will, and I can't allow you to hold the Law of Cycles hostage".

For a moment it looked as if Kyoko wrestled with her own conscious, before gripping her spear and readying herself for combat, a hurt but determined frown on her face, "If that's the way you want it, then I guess I'll just have to beat it out of you".

Nagisa watched the two worriedly. This was escalating far too quickly, "Please, don't-" but it was too late, Mami and her former protege sprung into action with a flurry of attacks. Kyoko expertly blocked Mami's bullets with her spear as the blond rushed in with ribbons.

Kyoko anticipated it, and countered Mami's attempt at controlling the battlefield with her own lattice barrier, the two attacks clashing with one another for dominance as Kyoko leaped into the air and came down with her spear aimed at Mami. To Kyoko's surprise (and horror) the attack actually hit, managing to rip right through Mami's upper chest. Horror quickly gave way however to 'aw crap not again' as Kyoko soon realized it wasn't really Mami—her body unraveling into a mass of ribbons that quickly overwhelmed Kyoko despite a valiant attempt at cutting her way out via multiple spears. Mami gripped her ribbons tight and with a heave threw Kyoko into Homura's apartment. The redhead went flying through the wall, landing in a heap in the white void space Homura called home.

"Please stop this!" Nagisa cried, putting herself between Kyoko and Mami, "We don't want to fight!"

Mami regarded Nagisa coldly, "Stand aside". She was clearly doing her best to keep the tears from flowing—tears that were already running down Nagisa's face.

With a grunt, Kyoko stood back up. "Lucky shot" she muttered, preparing to get back into the thick of things...but then she stopped, instead glancing up at the wall of floating screens Homura kept around her place. "...What" she blurted out in a mixture of confusion and horror.

There before her floated the body of one unconscious Sayaka Miki, her arms and legs bound, her mouth muzzled with a golden mask. But what really caught Kyoko was her soul gem: instead of the usual bright azure instead was a mix of unearthly and indescribable colors swirling about.

"...What…what have you done to her?!" Kyoko shouted at Homura in anger, gripping the edge of the wall so she could hang her head out towards the battlefield.

Homura sighed with a bit of exasperation—she was busy trying to keep the universe from imploding on itself, why couldn't Kyoko handle one simple thing. Why did everything always have to be so difficult with these people? "Sayaka Miki has proven annoyingly resilient to my memory wipes, coming back time and again to thwart me. It's clear she needs to be..._handled_ before she can be trusted to re-enter society".

"...Handled?" Kyoko asked breathlessly, not liking any of the possible implications one bit.

"Yes. Sayaka Miki must be rehabilitated. She must learn to properly appreciate the second chance she's been given, and understand that further resistance is futile and will not be tolerated. She will be returned when she has properly recognized her mistakes".

"You...you said you wouldn't hurt her" Kyoko said, quickly losing any semblance of stability, her rage at Mami quickly being replaced with the same for Homura, "You said she'd be fine!"

Homura felt a twinge of guilt at Kyoko's sorrow but pushed it down like she always did; she was far, _far_ too gone to feel bad about her actions now. Her event horizon had been crossed long ago and now all that remained was doing what needed to be done. She was absolute trash, the embodiment of evil, but through her actions the others would get their happy ending. Madoka would get her happy ending.

"And I assure you, she will be. I just need to make sure that irritating rebellious streak is dealt with" Homura replied. Miki hadn't been harmed; Homura had been true to her word...well, maybe a bruised ego but honestly Miki could probably do with one; Homura had been unable to squash a certain level of satisfaction she'd had at the impotent rage the blue-haired girl had sent her way when she'd been captured. The Incubators may have been a vile species, but they were certainly clever and Homura had seen fit to adapt some of their more useful ideas where they suited her: case in point, the isolation field that currently encased Miki's soul gem.

Inside, the irritating would-be savior had spent the last few hours in time-out; fighting the handful of wraiths Homura had graciously placed within. If she wanted to pretend to be a hero so bad, then Homura would oblige and allow her some ultimately meaningless effort on her behalf—like a child playing with her toys—and in truth keeping her busy meant Miki was less likely to be able to dedicate herself to finding a way out. Homura actually had no problem keeping her in there as long as the other girl wished it; just popping in occasionally to deliver fresh wraiths. Or perhaps she would eventually stop giving her things to fight and just leave the girl to her own devices until she finally reconsidered.

She knew Miki's stubbornness would buckle eventually and she'd want out, which Homura would allow...once Miki was properly chastened and grateful, and realized that the only way to freedom was through the devil's grace. She would allow no further insurrection.

Homura looked down at Mami with disdain in her eyes. "I will always do what I must. Unlike you". Always the fragile one. Always so weak-hearted.

Homura had asked her and Kyoko for a favor before, to kill her. They'd choked, just as they had in countless timelines before. Mami because she was weak, Kyoko because she was a flake, Sayaka because she was a fool. Their convictions, their ethics, their feelings, none of it was worth a damned thing. They'd destroy themselves if given the chance, and she wasn't going to give them that chance ever again. "Because of everything, I won't kill you right here and now, Mami Tomoe. Go home".

With one more side glance to where Kyoko was desperately trying to break Sayaka out of her prison, Mami turned towards Homura and with a noise that was less 'battle cry' and more 'brokenhearted rage', Mami launched herself from the shattered asphalt towards her opponent, only to be dashed across the sidewalk by two of Homura's Clara Dolls. The duo landed themselves at Homura's flanks, who hadn't even moved, as the rest of her dolls surrounded Mami on the street level. Nagisa stepped back from the execution squad, not sure what to do and terrified of what was about to happen. Tart was unconscious.

"I said go home" Homura said coldly as Mami picked herself back up. Mami was becoming a problem. She could mindwipe her, obviously, but that would still leave her open to Sayaka's half-witted machinations if she ever tried again. Homura really wanted to try and get through to the blonde.

"...You'll have to kill me" Mami replied, brushing a bit of blood off her lip.

For a moment, Homura considered this. She considered just...getting rid of Mami. It would make everything so much easier. It was clear the blonde could not be reasoned with any more than Sayaka, and if she allowed things to continue here as before, they'd both become nuisances. She didn't want to, but really, what was one more sacrifice? What was one more sin?

Surely there were other people Madoka could be friends with?

...Then an idea came to her. What if she just sent Mami to a different city, out of Sayaka's reach, away from Madoka? She'd start Mami's life over from scratch. That would work, at least while she tried to figure out what to do about everything else. If that didn't work, then she could simply imprison Mami like she had Sayaka. Unfortunate, but possibly necessary.

The demon regarded Mami coldly, deciding to wipe her memory and take her far away, even as problems across the cosmos continued to unravel everything, even as she spent even more energy trying to fix them, even as she felt so fatigued and hopeless and worthless, "Fine. I suppose I'll have to find Madoka better friends. Farewell, Mami Tomoe". The demon prepared to clap.

Mami's body seized up as she fully expected to be wiped from existence.

"NO!" Nagisa shouted, running towards Homura, as if putting herself between the two would make a difference, "Don't do it!"

"Nagisa, NO!" Mami exclaimed in terror.

But the supposed smiting never came. Homura felt _it_. A change in the wind, a shift in the air pressure, a fundamental redirection of magic. She looked back in fear towards Madoka's house-as a pink beam of light shot into the stratosphere, "...No" she gasped in wide-eyed horror. She'd been away too long, she had to get back and stop Madoka's ascension now, she had to-

Mami's ribbons gripped Homura's ankles and the next thing the demon knew, her physical form was being hurled at her Clara Dolls with Mami landing a fair bit away. They'd all felt it; they all felt Madoka awakening once more, and Mami had used her one chance to try and extend that window of opportunity for Madoka by distracting the demon.

Cursing herself for not keeping more of an eye on Mami and honestly a bit surprised and enraged she'd managed to get the drop on her physical form, Homura got up, her hair a mess and covering her face. "Deal with her" she coldly ordered her dolls.

The dolls turned on Mami, and for a moment the blond knew this was the end. If that was how it had to be though, she'd do it. She didn't regret her actions, only that she'd been forced into them. At least now she'd be able to rest—and with any hope, find peace within the Law of Cycles. She hoped she'd given Madoka the time she needed to make that a reality. Mami prepared for her last stand, summoning a flotilla of muskets and opened fire on the fourteen enemies converging on her.

And that was when everything stopped. The Clara Dolls were sent reeling back as holy light descended from above. Between Homura and Mami, the Law of Cycles touched down on the base earth.

"...No" Homura breathed as she stood up, her facade starting to crack as tears welled up in her eyes, "NO!"

Madoka surveyed the battlefield. There were broken magical girls littered across the street, the street itself was in ruins, Mami and Homura were ready to kill one another, and Kyoko had successfully gotten Sayaka's still-bound body down and was now cradling her in despair. Nagisa averted her eyes from Madoka and fled in shame.

...And that was just here on this street. Madoka could feel the totality of creation coming undone. Homura's vision of a perfect world had come at a heavy cost, and every attempt to fix it and keep it together had come with an even steeper cost. By now Homura was stealing energy from the furthest reaches in order to keep everything near Earth stable. She was playing a war of attrition, and attrition was winning.

This was bad. This was _very_ bad.

"...Homura, why?" Madoka asked her, nearly at a loss for words at the awfulness of the situation as a very battered-looking Incubator dropped itself from her shoulder to the pavement below.

Ah, Homura mused, so that was who got through her defenses to Madoka. She wondered how much of this had been orchestrated, and how much had been simple luck and opportunism. "...You shouldn't be here" Homura replied as evenly as she could manage even as her internal walls were breaking down, "You should be back home, with your family".

"How can I when this is happening?" Madoka asked her with sadness, "How could I let this go on? This isn't right, Homura!"

"You shouldn't BE here!" Homura repeated, her voice cracking as her world collapsed around her, "This isn't for you! God can't have happiness! Just...go home, please. Go home. Let me take care of this".

The Incubator spoke up, "Your actions have had grave consequences for the universe, Homura Akemi, as I have tried to warn you before. Your manicured vision for the universe instead of letting things progress organically has sped up entropy by sheer magnitudes. Combine that with your lack of energy collection, and the survivability of our universe has reached a critical threshold. Further, tearing the Law of Cycles apart has-" the now-headless incubator fell to the ground lifeless as Homura turned her attention back to Madoka.

"...I just want you to be happy" Homura said quietly, sobs punctuating her speech, "All I ever wanted was to make you happy. But you won't let me. The universe won't let me. No matter what I do" a feral yet sad grin spread over her face, "...Maybe I should just destroy everything and start over, like you did".

Madoka stepped back in worry, "...Homura. This needs to stop. Please, just...come with me. We can fix this. I can fix this. You've suffered so much and I am so, so sorry, but we can still make this right".

"..No" Homura growled, "I won't ever give in. I won't ever stop fighting for you!" with a sudden burst of speed, Homura closed the distance between her and Madoka, gripping the goddess's wrists tightly. With a mad smile she pulled again, just like before. She could still win! She could still save Madoka!

But Madoka was prepared this time. Her own hands gripped Homura's wrists and she struggled right back, pulling back against the demon. Energy began to crackle, the air became alive with electricity as the two deities fought like schoolchildren.

"Stop!" the Incubator in a new body called to them. "Your struggle is beginning to tear apart the local worldline! If this continues, you'll unravel space-time! The universe will cease to exist! Don't either of you care?!"

"Homura, please just...come with me! I can fix this! You don't have to be alone! You don't have to do this! PLEASE!" Madoka shouted over the ever-growing amount of energy being thrown about as the laws of reality began to bend and buckle. Electromagnetic power began to lift the debris that littered the street above the ground as the earth itself began to shake. Above, the clouds in the sky evaporated as the two girls generated more and more power.

Then the moon, already down to a small wedge-shape, vanished entirely. The clock had reached zero.

"NEVER!" Homura shouted back in a mixture of rage, sorrow, and crazed and panicked laughter, "I WILL NEVER SURRENDER! I WILL _NEVER_ ACCEPT THE LAW OF CYCLES!"

Cracks in reality began to form like broken glass. The two deities could no longer be seen, instead completely engulfed in blinding light that somehow became brighter still. Their battle expanded at an exponential rate, quickly consuming the universe's remaining energy.

Mami watched in horror, then in pain as she felt her soul gem filling up with corruption. Above in the ruins of Homura's apartment, Kyoko still held on to Sayaka's unconscious form as grief and guilt overcame her, the redhead's soul gem also darkening at a quickening pace. And all across the world, the situation was the same. Witches and wraiths alike emerged and overtook everything.

The Incubator knew its last-ditch hail mary had failed. Everything was too far gone now as reality finally began to implode on itself. The feedback loops had started, and now nothing could prevent the final, total collapse of all of creation. All because of two emotionally compromised teenage girls.

"How illogical".

Time slowed. Causality was undone. The universe fractured and shattered.

And then...nothing.

* * *

_4E 262, southern Abecean Sea, off the northern coast of Alinor_

Night had settled over Tamriel some time ago, and for the Fifth Squadron of the Aldmeri Dominion's Sixth Fleet, the night shift had fallen into their usual rhythm as they patrolled the Dominion's waters for threats. Well, 'threats'. No one dared challenge Aldmeri Dominion naval superiority outright, but there were always pirates who still hadn't gotten the memo that the Abecean Sea was now under Dominion protection, or smugglers or spies from Hammerfell or Colovia or, ancestors forbid, Thras, looking to infiltrate Alinor. But even those numbers had gone down as of late, and so a relaxed environment had settled over the crews of the six ships in the squadron.

Well, as far as 'relaxed' meant to the high elves, anyway.

But that was why Captain Erudil did not expect tonight to be what it became.

It started with a meteor shower lighting up the night sky. It wasn't that it was unwelcome, far from it as it gave him and his crew a nice diversion from the monotony. But he'd checked the weather forecasts, and there had been nothing about astronomical events, no star showers were expected this time of year. And there were...so very many stars falling. More than he'd ever seen before, and so brightly too. Where had they all come from?

And that was when he noticed one of the starts getting brighter and bigger.

Oh, shit.

"HARD TO PORT!" he ordered in a slight panic. To their credit, all caught the incoming threat about the same time as him, and were already working hard to row the small scouting vessel out of the way. And just in time, as the waves from the impact washed over the ship as the star fell into the sea below just barely missing the side of the ship. The captain ran over to the place of impact to see if he could find anything.

He could definitely feel magic emanating from where the object had sunk. Strong magic, at that. Very strong. Thankfully, the waters were shallow here.

"...Get a bucket" he said to his right-hand. The officer nodded.

Two hours later after careful searching and triangulating by the squadron's mages, the captain's prize rolled onto the deck of his ship. Carefully, Erudil picked the object up, which radiated with a warm light. It was a purplish lump of crystal, much like any normal soul gem his mages used for enchanting, but far more potent. There was something different about it, something...Other.

As he handled it, the captain was suddenly struck by visions—by places he'd never known, people he'd never met. Cities made of steel towers, traversed by vehicles of strange design. He let the soul gem go as the sheer amount of power he'd felt had overwhelmed him. It wasn't until he felt the arms of two of his crewmen helping him back up that he remembered he was captain Erudil and that he was still on his ship.

"...Sir, are you alright?"

Erudil took a deep breath and nodded, "...Yes. Just...didn't expect that". Learning his lesson, he tore off a bit of his cloak and wrapped it around the object. Then with a grave seriousness he began to give his orders to his crew.

"...Get command on the line. We've found something".


	2. 1x01: This is all my fault

**BOOK ONE: SKYRIM**

**CHAPTER ONE: THIS IS ALL MY FAULT**

* * *

Madoka awoke in a daze. Hugging her pillow, she gave a big yawn.

"What a weird dream".

The morning light softly filtered into her room. She glanced at her clock; time to get ready for school. With no small amount of disdain, the pinkette drug herself out of bed and out towards the back door where her dad was usually tending to his garden. She prepared to open the sliding door, when she realized he wasn't there. Huh, that was odd. Maybe he was waking up mom?

She headed over to the futon where her mother was sleeping on and...she wasn't there. The futon was still there, but fully made. This perplexed Madoka, she felt like her whole routine was off.

"...Mom?" she called out, throwing a glance into the empty bathroom, "Dad?"

The house was silent and empty.

"Tatsuya?"

Nothing.

"Where is everyone?!"

Now she was worried. Madoka scoured the house looking for her family, but no one was there, and there was no sign they'd ever been there. The kitchen was unused, their rooms were empty. where could they have gone?

Madoka made a bee-line back to her dad's garden and opened the door, "DAD?" she called out, but any further words died in her throat as she looked up.

The sky was burning. It was burning and everything else was burning too and she could hear the screams and-

Madoka awoke in a panic, taking a second or two before realizing she _wasn't_ burning to death and...actually not sure where she was. That was a really weird feeling, considering the nightmare she was still shrugging off. But soon she realized she was in a cellar of some kind, like a really old-timey one, and her bed was made of straw and wood.

...where _was_ she?

"You're awake!"

Oh thank god, a familiar face. Madoka sighed with relief as Mami wandered over. She wasn't wearing her normal clothes but rather some sort of dress and...for that matter, Madoka herself had been changed into an old-fashioned and unflattering skirt and tunic. Like, European medieval old-fashioned. She didn't own anything like this.

"...Where are we?" she asked in a daze, "What happened?"

"What do you remember last?" Mami asked her gently.

Madoka struggled to remember as she sat up, swinging her bare feet onto the cold stone floor. Realizing that was a mistake, she folded her legs back up on the bed. What _was_ the last thing she'd remembered? She'd been at home, sick with the flu and then...oh.

Oh.

Oh _no_.

It all came flooding back to her in an instant. Mami caught her beginning to hyperventilate and did her best to calm her down, sitting down next to her and gently grabbing her shoulder, with her other hand being squeezed by Madoka's, "It's okay, It's okay. You're here now. Focus on my voice, take deep breaths".

Madoka calmed down as best as she could be expected to considering the situation, but tears began to well up in her eyes, "...I killed the universe" she said, her terrified, horrified voice barely above a whisper, "I killed..._everyone_". Her mom, her dad, Tatsuya, Hitomi...everyone she'd ever known was gone, every magical girl she'd ever saved, every person who had ever been born, and it was all her fault. Entire civilizations and species. Countless trillions upon trillions upon trillions. An incalculable, unimaginable loss. Grief began to overwhelm her. She felt sick.

"No, you tried to save them, don't you remember?" Mami asked her, drawing her into a hug even as her companion broke into sobbing, "You tried to save Homura-"

"Where is she?!" Madoka asked with start, pulling away as she glanced around frantically, "Where's Homura?!" her search found no one except her and Mami...and the sleeping form of Sayaka on the other side of the bed. Well, there was one friend accounted for, at least.

"...I'm afraid they only found the three of us out in the swamp. I have no idea where Homura is. Or Kyoko and Nagisa, for that matter" Mami said mournfully.

"Do...do you think anyone else made it?" Madoka asked, leaning back into the hug.

Mami shook her head, "I don't know. But Skyrim's a big place, or so they told me".

"...Skyrim?"

Oh boy. Mami was still wrapping her head around this too, "The place we're at. We're...not on Earth anymore, I don't think".

"...Then where…?" She really hadn't considered that with the universe gone, they shouldn't be here. None of this should be here. There should be nothing. Her crying subsided a bit at this sudden pang of confusion.

So where were they?

"Frost Creek, if that means anything to you. Small town near Morthal" said a new voice. A middle aged caucasian man with vanishing grey hair had stepped down from the ladder leading up to what Madoka assumed was a cabin of some kind. He seemed kindly.

"Oh, Madoka, this is Bren Frost-Digger. He's the one who rescued us" Mami said, introducing the new arrival as he began to rummage through the shelves that lined the walls, which for the first time Madoka was noticing contained a lot of jars of various substances and other supplies.

"...It's nice to meet you" Madoka replied.

The man chuckled, "Swamp's a bad place to find yourself even in the best of times, especially bad now that summer's coming to a close what with this cold snap. Glad to see that you're alright though".

Mami stood up and bowed, "Apologies, I was going to grab what you asked, but then Madoka awoke".

Bren waved her off, "It's fine. I figured it was something like that. You're a good kid. Take the time you need, Aia and I can keep watch on the shop until you get back".

"Thank you" Mami replied as he gave her a smile before ascending the latter with the ingredients he needed.

He paused halfway up and looked at Madoka, "Oh, I'll have Aia bring some food down to you when she has a minute. You must be starving".

"...Shop?" Madoka asked Mami after Bren vanished.

Mami shrugged, "Bren and his wife run the village apothecary. I've been helping them out" her smile faded, "Earning our keep".

Something else was bugging Madoka, "...He wasn't speaking Japanese". Truth be told, she couldn't pin exactly what language Bren had spoken, only that it sounded vaguely European. Nothing stood out from her days watching over the universe and rescuing magical girls. Even the false memories of America Homura had given her yielded little, as dreamlike and ephemeral as they were. And yet, she'd understood him. How?

...Actually for that matter, _she_ hadn't spoken Japanese to him either.

Mami actually managed a chuckle at the increasing bafflement on Madoka's face even through her tear-stained face, "Aia brewed something while you were asleep, don't ask me what it was, a potion of some kind. When I drank it, I could talk with them perfectly clearly. Then we gave it to you and Sayaka. Magic of some kind, I guess".

The other girls' name was enough for Madoka to glance back at her friend, and then everything began to come crashing down once more. A small shudder from Madoka's frame was Mami's cue to wrap her in another hug, "Don't worry, we'll figure this out. I'm sure of it" she said softly as Madoka broke into more sobbing. They stayed that way for quite a while.

The first thing Kyoko's slowly waking mind noticed was the annoying high-pitched begging forcibly dragging her from her sweet, sweet slumber. The second was the rough shaking from soft hands pushing her to wake up. The third was the slap she received to her cheek.

"Sayaka, I swear to god if you don't let me sleep in..." Kyoko mumbled, still half-asleep.

"It's um...me, actually" Nagisa replied.

Kyoko's eyes shot open. The redhead sat up, realizing that jagged rocks weren't the best sleeping material.

Wait. Why was she sleeping on jagged rocks? And for that matter, why were they out in...oh. Hm. Well, this was certainly nightmare material.

All around them lay a burned out, blasted forest. Dead trees lay scattered about and covered in what she'd originally thought was snow, but as she dug her hand into it realized was ash. It WAS cold though, bitterly so, and in her thin hoodie and jean shorts, she was freezing. In the far distance, across a narrow sea stood a truly gigantic volcano bigger than anything she could have imagined existing on Earth spewing into the cloudy sky. The weirdest thing though, had to be the occasional giant mushroom sprouting from the ground, easily twice her height, if not more. They themselves were within a strategically placed alcove of rocks.

"...Where the hell are we?" she asked Nagisa.

"I'm not sure" Nagisa sighed, "What's the last thing you remember?"

...Oh. OH. "...Pretty sure the world ended" Kyoko muttered as she rubbed her eyes, "Great. So that's a thing" she looked around, "...Where's Sayaka?"

Nagisa shrugged helplessly, "You're the only one I've found. I was worried, you weren't responding. You've been out for hours".

Kyoko sighed. Her mind was quickly coming to a number of conclusions that while they made sense, weren't ones she was happy with, "...I doubt we'll see any of them, except Homura maybe. They're too good for this place".

Nagisa frowned in confusion, "...You know where we are?"

Kyoko closed her eyes as she let off a mirthless laugh, repressing an involuntary shiver that was only partially the fault of the cold, "Isn't it obvious? We're in Hell". They were damned, and as far as Kyoko was concerned, she deserved every last bit of it.

* * *

Madoka stared at the pink soul gem in her hands. Her soul gem. Which...wasn't supposed to exist anymore, but this was hardly the weirdest thing she'd experienced today. She'd checked a mirror; pink eyes and short hair. She was mortal again, stripped of divinity for the second time in the span of a month.

Wow, she was _really_ bad at this.

The former goddess had cried her eyes out until she literally couldn't anymore, and now mostly existed in a state of 'wanting to curl up into oblivion'. At some point Bren's wife (Aia, was it?) had come by with some bread, and despite her protestations that she wasn't hungry, one bite had confirmed the exact opposite.

Mami hadn't left her side for a moment, doing her best to keep her spirits up and generally fill her in on what had happened in the solid day(!) she'd been out cold, and Madoka was so very glad she was around because she wasn't sure what she'd do if she was alone right now.

Madoka banished that particular train of thought.

The bigger issue right now was Sayaka. The other girl hadn't woken up at all, and her soul gem currently resting on the end table was filled with indescribable colors courtesy of Homura. Fears of witch-hood quickly abated when it was clear nothing was going to happen, and Madoka wasn't even sure if it was possible to become a witch a second time. Or rather...if it was possible to become a witch after she would-have-been-but-didn't-because-she-was-added-to-The Law of Cycles. Or…

Eugh, Madoka's head hurt, and the nature of Homura's ascension only made the question even more confusing. Homura had somehow done something Madoka hadn't even been aware was possible, and she hadn't really had any time to puzzle it out, considering she'd 'known' devil(?) Homura for a grand total of about five minutes, and most of that had been spent locked in combat.

...Devil Homura? Eh. She'd leave the clever nicknames to someone more capable than herself. Besides, thinking about her that way pained Madoka. Homura wasn't evil, despite what she'd said. Or done...ish. Mostly. She glanced back at Sayaka.

...Crud.

Madoka felt dumb. She'd once been a timeless infinite being, able to reach her consciousness across the cosmos at will. Now everything felt restricted and fuzzy. Even her memories of the experience felt distant and disjointed, like a half-remembered dream, as if she was trying to grasp something beyond her comprehension.

"...Do you think she's going to be alright?" Madoka asked Mami mournfully, looking over at Sayaka's sleeping form. She certainly didn't look well; her eye bags and gaunt appearance revealing the other girl's suffering in a way her otherwise peaceful sleep did not.

Mami shook her head, "I don't know. I want to say her gem looks a little less dark than it did yesterday, but I can't be sure. I wish I had some grief cubes to give her". Nothing the apothecary had on hand had worked, not that either of them had expected it to. Sayaka wasn't suffering a physical ailment; whatever Homura had done to her had been directed at her soul. Madoka had tried to take the burden off Sayaka of course, but it seemed she didn't possess any of her old powers. She just...wasn't the Law of Cycles anymore. At all.

Madoka sighed with bewilderment and abject sorrow as she brushed a lock of Sayaka's hair out of the girl's face with her hand, "...Homura, what have you done?"

Holding her own soul gem, Mami again attempted a simple spell.

Nothing.

"Still can't cast anything?" Madoka asked her.

"No. I don't know if it's going to come back". The situation reminded Mami of a conversation she'd once had with Kyoko when the latter had been reflecting on her lost illusion magic, and Mami wondered if this felt anything like that or if she was just completely off-base. Certainly, she hadn't rejected her wish, and even then it had only cost Kyoko part of her abilities.

Neither Mami or Madoka had been able to do so much as transform or do anything beyond switch their gems between ring and gem form, which only furthered Madoka's endless questions; why bother giving her back a soul gem if her magic was going to be useless? _Why_ was her magic useless? None of this added up.

Needless to say, none of this was doing any favors for Madoka's already terrible mental state.

"...This is all my fault" she whispered to herself, staring at the floor.

* * *

Well, she couldn't say dad hadn't told her so. Hell sucked.

Kyoko and Nagisa trudged through the barren ashy wilderness, both freezing. Magic hadn't helped; despite both still having their soul gems neither had been able to even transform, much less will any discomfort away. For better or worse, with the exception of increased durability and strength, it was like they were completely human once again...except still stuck with the downside of their souls being housed in tiny rocks.

"Where are we going?" Nagisa asked the older girl.

Kyoko shrugged noncommittally, "Dunno. Somewhere with shelter. Maybe there's a cave somewhere nearby".

"What are we going to do?"

"Suffer mostly".

"Kyoko-"

"_WHAT_?" the redhead snapped at the younger girl in barely contained agitation, spinning around on her heels to glare at her. Her anger instantly died however, when she saw the expression of forlorn fear on Nagisa's face. She sighed, calming herself down as she brushed her hand through her hair, "I'm sorry, you don't deserve that. Look, I don't know. I don't know where we're going or what we're going to do" she lowered herself to Nagisa's level and put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, "But we'll watch each others' back, okay? We'll get through this".

Kyoko wasn't sure if she was telling the truth on that last bit, but that wasn't something Nagisa needed to know. The younger girl mustered up some determination at Kyoko's words, taking a deep breath and letting some of her anxiety out.

And that was when they heard a noise, sticks breaking. Both immediately switched to alert mode, even more-so now that they didn't have any weapons or powers. Boy, did Kyoko feel naked without her spear, or even a box of pocky.

Something vaguely insectoid stepped out from behind some bushes, about the size of a large dog and brown in color. It was almost like an oversized cricket crossed with a spider, but way more dangerous looking. Also it was really pissed off.

"...And this is doing absolutely nothing for my arachnophobia" Kyoko deadpanned as she picked a stick up off the ground. More noises followed—three more bug creatures stepped into the clearing. "Shit".

"What do we do?!" Nagisa asked fearfully as she backed up against Kyoko. The latter threw her stick at the nearest bug, which caught it in its jaws and snapped it like...well, like a twig. Kyoko's eyes widened.

"...Run!" she called to Nagisa, grabbing her hand and pulling her away as the cricket demon...things chased after them.

"I can't go that fast!" Nagisa called to Kyoko as she was essentially drug behind the much more athletic redhead. Nagisa was constantly tripping and skidding across the ground, dragging Kyoko back with her and slowing her down.

"Okay" Kyoko said, "New plan". She grabbed Nagisa and hoisted her over her shoulders into a piggy-back ride even as she kept running, "Tell anyone about this and I'll kill you". Nagisa said nothing as she grabbed hold of Kyoko for dear life.

The ride didn't last long though, as Kyoko soon realized she'd made a grave error.

...That error being that she'd just run out of land and was now walking on air. ...Falling. Falling through air. Aaaand into a filthy, murky stream. They'd toppled over a cliff, and as Kyoko pulled her head out of the freezing ash-infested waters any remaining doubts she had that this wasn't Hell were dashed.

"H-hate...my...l-life..." Kyoko managed to blurt out between bouts of hypothermia-induced shivering as she dragged herself and Nagisa onto shore. She had to crawl; putting any weight on her left foot was quickly demonstrated as a bad idea when lightning-sharp pain shot through it; something was broken. Hoorah.

The exhausted and pretty-sure-she-was-dying-a-second-time redhead collapsed in a heap on the river bank, ready to let the cold take her. Could you die in Hell? Because right now she'd take sweet oblivion in a heartbeat.

Someone in heavy, ornate robes approached the two beached children, berating them in some language Kyoko had never heard before. She looked up at him and despite herself yelped and managed to scramble back a good few feet. He was old but also not even remotely human, with long ears and greyish, ashen skin.

"...A-are...are y-you a d-d-demon?" shivering aside, her question was strangely calm considering. Despite turning her back on religion after her father...well, after what he did, dying and waking up in a cold ashy wasteland with demonic people and monsters had a hell of a way of reigniting one's faith.

The...man? Demon? He spoke a few more words, becoming increasingly agitated before he gave up and went back over to where Kyoko saw a portable table and chair and a whole bunch of beakers, pots, and other odds and ends on top. The redhead sat up, shivering but said nothing as the demon worked quickly on something; what she couldn't tell. Nagisa watched in silence, also clearly suffering from the cold.

After a minute or two, the man came back over with two small amulets, and motioned to the girls to put them on. They did so and-

"Can you understand me now?" the grumpy old demon man asked.

"Er...y-y-yeah" Kyoko said in mild surprise, "Are...are y-you a d-demon?" she repeated, feeling embarrassed she even had to ask.

The man looked at her like she'd grown a second head, then shook his head, "Not the worst insult I've gotten over the years, I suppose. Now, what are two Akaviri children doing wandering the wastes of Solstheim by themselves? Where are your parents? Please tell me you're not orphans. I detest orphans".

"...S-solstheim?" Kyoko asked, intentionally ignoring the fact that both she and Nagisa were in fact orphans.

"...A-akaviri?" Nagisa asked.

The man looked at them with frustration, "Yes. You" he pointed at them like they were slow, "Are Akaviri. This" he pointed to the land, "Is the island of Solstheim. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" he paused, "...And why do I detect high levels of magic from both of you?"

"W-wait" Kyoko said, putting the pieces together, "So...w-we're n-not in Hell?"

The man sighed to himself, "This is what I get for skimping on amulets. The spell never sticks right. Hell didn't translate. What is Hell?"

If her question before hadn't made her feel like a stupid child, Kyoko's next statement certainly did, "Er...it's where y-you g-go when you d-die if you've been b-bad".

"Far be it from me to rain on petty folk Akaviri traditions" the man replied dryly, "But no. You are quite alive, though for how much longer I cannot say. Now, would you mind telling me who you are and why you are here interrupting my work?"

"Uh, N-nagisa Momoe" the younger girl bowed despite her body's quaking, flustered, "P-pleased to meet y-you".

"Kyoko S-sakura" the redhead replied, quickly regaining her swagger even though she was still sitting on the ground with a bad leg and was literally dying from her soaking wet clothes and the cold temperatures, "Now w-who are YOU?"

The man looked at her flatly with irritation, both at her attitude AND at the fact she still hadn't answered his second question. He puffed up a bit, "Dear child, I am Master Neloth, Mage Lord and Councilor of the former House Telvanni. Now, if you're quite done being a mouthy teenager, would you mind telling me what in Oblivion you're doing on my property and interrupting my experiments?"

* * *

Frost Creek was a quaint village. Just a few streets in size, with a population of a few hundred. Huts and cottages made of wood and stone with straw roofs lined said streets, reminding Madoka a bit of medieval Scandinavia. The climate was definitely right; late summer and it already felt like they were deep into fall. Beyond the town though, was unpleasant. Ugly swamp lands extended in all directions, and even within the town much of the traffic was done by boat, like some sort of miniature Venice.

She'd come out here to the front porch of the house because she couldn't stand being cooped up inside anymore. Sayaka was still unresponsive and the atmosphere was so uncertain and oppressive. At least out here she could catch some evening sunlight and distract herself by watching everyone go about their day. To her left and down the street she could see a wood mill occupied by workers sawing through logs. Elsewhere, a bunch of people were chatting in front of the local inn.

Occasionally they'd watch her too, stealing a glance here and there at the new arrival in town. The...what was it she'd been called, Akaviri? A people from far away land to the east filled with strange creatures and weird legends. Well, she was definitely from far away, so why not.

Not that she'd ever see any of it ever again.

What was she even doing here?

"...I should have just let Homura take me back home" she muttered to herself darkly.

"Wouldn't have worked" Mami said, standing beside her. She gave a smile as she sat down, "Before the battle, the other magical girls told me how the universe was falling apart. Homura was trying to micromanage too many things at once, and using up too much cosmic energy. Eventually something would have had to give".

Madoka couldn't help but smile wistfully at the memory of the other girls who had tried to rescue her. She'd hand-picked them alongside Nagisa and Sayaka before leaving with the latter two to try and save Homura. Had her gambit against the Incubators failed, they were to awaken from the Law of Cycles and scout out the situation. Like her mom had once said, always have a contingency plan.

"...I sent them to their deaths" she said, her faint smile fading, "They'd only expected to go up against the Incubators, not..." a shudder escaped her lips.

"They got close to finding you without Homura finding out" Mami said, "Very close. If Sayaka hadn't gotten captured, I think we might have pulled it off".

"I still would have had to fight Homura" said Madoka, "It would have ended the same".

That much was true, and Mami didn't have an answer. Instead she redirected the conversation, "Dinner is soon".

Madoka let out an anxious breath, "I guess I should come, huh? I still haven't talked with our hosts, I feel kind of bad about that".

Mami put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Don't force yourself if you don't feel up to it" she smiled a bit, "I am the one cooking, though".

Madoka actually managed a real smile, "Well then I definitely have to come, don't I?"

Mami gave a good-natured chuckle as she got up and went back inside.

It was such a weird dynamic, Mami knew. She'd come to know Madoka once in Homura's false Mitakihara, and then again in Homura's world (at least initially, before Homura began to hide her away), but before that she'd only known her as the Law of Cycles, an ever-present and impersonal force that governed reality. She'd been more of an urban legend than anything else. So really, the thought of comforting and caring for a former goddess seemed...very out of place.

And yet, something about it felt right. Homura may have designed their relationship both times, but it felt like their friendship ran deeper than that, and Madoka even seemed to think so as she was constantly looking to her for stability. Imagine that, god was asking _her_ to be her anchor. The thought was almost laughable.

As soon as she was out of earshot of Madoka, Mami allowed her facade to crack—just for a moment, allowing herself a single stuttering deep breath as the enormity of the situation washed over her. What was she even doing?

No. None of that. She needed work to keep herself busy, to keep certain dark thoughts from creeping in. Just like her life as a magical girl, focusing on the larger picture was a recipe for disaster. She just needed to take it one step at a time and not think about it.

* * *

In the end, Madoka had elected to come to dinner after Bren had closed his shop up, and they all took up seats in the living quarters on the building's second floor, where Madoka could see the couples' bed in the corner. The couple seemed fairly well off, judging by the animal throw rug beneath her, or the rustic ornaments that decorated the room—or that weird small table with ornate designs and glass instruments above it in the other corner. That helped her feel less guilty about taking advantage of their hospitality, at least. _less_ guilty anyway; she still felt it a bunch.

It was a quiet affair though, with the former goddess silently stirring her soup aimlessly, her thoughts elsewhere.

"You're letting it get cold" Mami told her.

Madoka woke from her thoughts with a start, "O-oh, sorry. I was just...thinking".

"Are you alright?" Bren asked her, "Do you still feel ill?"

Madoka shook her head, inwardly chastising herself for not paying attention to the situation at hand, "No, I'm fine. Thank you though" she paused, "...Thank you for inviting us in. I know this must be a rather large inconvenience".

Aia laughed, "Not at all. We're happy to have you here". She was middle aged, much like Bren; though she seemed more southern European to Bren's north. Her once jet-black hair was slowly turning gray, though she herself was aging gracefully.

"Mami's been quite the help around the shop" Bren declared, "...And the kitchen it seems. This is very good. Where did you learn to cook?"

"Oh, thank you!" Mami blushed slightly, "I live alone, mostly. And I like doing things for other people".

"...Oh" Aia said falteringly, "So you don't live with your...sisters?" she glanced at Madoka.

"Uh...we're not siblings" Madoka replied, "Just close friends".

"It's a long story" Mami explained.

Aia decided to finally ask the question that had been on the couple's lips since the first day, "...How did you come to Skyrim, anyway? It's a long way from Akavir, especially alone for kids your age".

"And why Drajkmyr Marsh of all places?" Bren asked, "There are far more scenic places in Skyrim".

Mami and Madoka looked at each other as if for confirmation. Madoka answered, "We didn't...exactly come here by choice. We...it..." she trailed off, not sure how to explain this.

Mami covered for her, "Some...bad things happened, and we just sort of...ended up here. We're not exactly sure how".

"Magic, huh" Aia said. The girls squirmed a bit, but she reassured them, "Don't worry, I won't pry if you don't want me to. Though I'd love to know more about Akaviri culture. Especially those magical talismans of yours. I've never seen them before".

"...Talismans?" Madoka squeaked, instinctively reaching for her soul gem ring.

Bren chuckled, "Aia used to work for the University down south in the Imperial City. She's always been interested in far-off places".

"I had my fair share of expeditions around Tamriel in my youth" Aia confirmed gleefully, "Before I got old and settled down, anyway" she shifted the conversation back, "So are those talismans clan-based? Marriage tokens?"

The two girls again locked eyes, hesitant about opening this particular can of worms with near-strangers. Still, they weren't on Earth anymore, these two already seemingly knew about magic, and keeping secrets wouldn't help make friends when they were so short on them already. Madoka gave Mami a reluctant nod.

Mami took a deep breath and then summoned her soul gem, "It's a...contract".

"...A contract?" Aia's interest intensified, "Never heard of that before. A contract for what?"

"We get one wish, and in return we have to fight monsters called Wraiths" Madoka said.

"...What part of Akavir are you from?" Aia asked, "There's nothing in Tsaesci lore about this that I remember".

"...It's not Daedric, is it?" Bren asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Honestly Bren, not everything magical is Daedric in origin" Aia chastised her husband, "Forgive him, Bren's a tried and true Nord".

"Daedric?" asked Madoka.

Bren answered, "Malevolent spirits that trick you into being their slaves. They might grant you a boon, but then they might take your soul as payment".

Mami began to sweat a bit while Madoka choked on her soup, "...No, it's...nothing like that" Mami reassured them, lying through her teeth with a smile. Bren's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he let it pass.

"What did you wish for?" Aia asked, putting the conversation back on track. The two girls suddenly became very uncomfortable.

"It's...complicated" Madoka said.

Aia put her hands up defensively, "Like I said, I won't pry if you don't want me to".

Now Madoka had something she wanted to ask though, something that had been bugging her and since they WERE talking about magic, "Um...question. That potion you gave us earlier. That one that lets us speak your language..."

Aia perked back up, "Ah, that. Just a little recipe I picked up from my time in the University. It was really helpful when we had to play host to foreign dignitaries. It's only a temporary measure though, it wears off after a few days. Alternatively, we also used to enchant amulets with a spell that the wearer could use, but I don't have any on hand right now".

"...Magic exists here" Mami said almost to herself, looking down at her soul gem in frustration. It was already clear it did, but every time the subject came up it just made their own situation even more perplexing because it seemed so *common* here, like it was a normal day-to-day thing that the average person knew about.

Aia seemed a bit taken aback, "Why wouldn't it? Magicka exists in all things. Magicka is. It's the raw energy that comprises the universe".

"Yes, of course. Apologies, I was just thinking out loud" Mami replied, a bit flustered.

The conversation trailed off. The meal was just about finished anyway, and the girls soon sequestered themselves to the cellar where Sayaka lay on the spare bed.

* * *

Kyoko and Nagisa told Neloth everything. At first they'd been hesitant, but his questions were pointed, and while he repeatedly doubted their intelligence and decision-making skills (Kyoko was really starting to dislike the wizard), he never once doubted their honesty. Now dried off thanks to a low-level heat spell and wrapped up together in a blanket, and with Kyoko's leg having been healed by another spell of Neloth's, the two girls huddled together, still outside in the wilderness, as Neloth leaned back in his chair in contemplation. Kyoko's soul gem rested on the table—he'd asked to see one, and Kyoko had flatly refused to allow Nagisa to give hers up. It didn't look like any soul gem he'd ever seen—and the properties were very different. Tamrielic soul gems stored souls yes, but they were permanently divorced from their host bodies, and they provided far less magic then what he felt radiated off these girls' trinkets, which were far more like a permanent phylactery which even by itself was intriguing, as even Neloth didn't know of any way to make a phylactery that wasn't anything more than a temporary vessel for the lichification process. Not that he'd tried of course, lichhood was the rabble's method for immortality. He couldn't wait to test some hypotheses once they were back at the tower, though.

But that wasn't the real prize here, was it?

"...The meteor shower..." he said to himself, rubbing his beard as he leaned back in his seat in contemplation.

"What meteor shower?" Kyoko asked.

"A rather large shower came down over all of Tamriel. It was unusual in both its brightness and intensity, but more-so by the fact that it was entirely unscheduled. It shouldn't have happened. Now I know why".

She caught his meaning, "...Wait, are you saying more of us made it here?" she asked in surprise.

Neloth took a drink from his cup of tea, "That would be the obvious conclusion, yes. The real question is where did you come from? The realms of Oblivion are vast, but the kind of universe you are describing is almost impossibly large in scope. So either your 'Law of Cycles' is an indescribably powerful being even by Daedric standards, or she inherited a system built by a collective of spirits, much like the world you stand on now—and considering how you have described her capabilities and limitations to me, I am much considering the latter. That raises its own questions, however".

Nagisa didn't much care for the old man's ruminations, she was fully focused on his first statement, "If the others are here then...then we have to go find them!" she said, standing up in excitement.

"What, you're going to go wander off into the wilds alone?" Neloth sneered, "Without provisions, protection, or any idea of where you're headed? Good luck, you'll be dead by tomorrow morning". Nagisa wilted from Neloth's bluntness and sat back down in the dirt, wrapping the blanket back around herself in defeat. Kyoko shot him a glare which he didn't even seem to notice.

"It's exactly that kind of impetuous nonsense that got your world killed" Neloth grumbled, "Whoever thought that handing out powers to petulant children was a good idea was certainly a special kind of insane. You played god like it was a game of dress-up".

"Excuse you!?" Kyoko shot up off the ground in anger and stepped towards the wizard.

Neloth was unimpressed, "Child, you and your friends tore the concept of Hope in two" he said with a frown, "Did you really think there wouldn't be consequences?"

Kyoko wanted to retort, but any would-be comeback died in her throat, and in the end she simply backed off with a grumble, her fists closed tight.

Neloth took another sip, "A long time ago, a group of idiots calling themselves the Alessian Order decided that for whatever reason, they didn't like that another group of people worshiped the same god of time differently from them. To that end, they undertook a forbidden ritual to try and rip out the parts of the god they didn't like".

"...What happened?" Nagisa asked, knowing it wasn't going to end well, but curious all the same.

Neloth scoffed, "What do you think happened? The time god snapped, and we spent the next thousand years giving birth to our own grandparents because time stopped mattering. Reality was unbound, existence was non-linear, and to this day we don't actually know WHAT happened because everyone came out of it with a different story or six".

"...And we unbound hope" Nagisa said, horror sinking into her voice.

"And what's left when hope is gone?" Neloth asked her.

Nagisa's face went pale white as she realized the full implications of Homura's singular act, "Despair".

"I don't claim to be an expert in the dynamics of hope and despair or whatever, but logically I would assume from the moment you tore your goddess in two, everything became futile. You were doomed from that moment on" Neloth said nonchalantly.

Kyoko landed back on her knees, her anger at Neloth vanishing as she unclenched her fists, her gaze aimed at nothing in particular. It had all been for nothing. Again.

Neloth glanced at the sky; night was beginning to fall, "Come" he said, standing up after finishing his drink, "Unless you'd like to be eaten by an ash hopper. Solstheim is even less hospitable at night".

"Why do you care?" Kyoko asked him. They'd spent the last few hours getting berated out in the cold by the man, and he'd shown no interest in whether they lived or died.

"I don't. Go and freeze to death for all I care. But you _are_ interesting, and I would like to squeeze more knowledge out of you before you do. Now come, my tower is just over the next hill".

The two girls looked at each other and Kyoko nodded at Nagisa in approval, albeit reluctantly. They didn't have much choice, did they? It was either the crabby old man or the bug monsters. With that Kyoko swiped her gem off the table and the two began to follow the old wizard.

"...Wait, what about your stuff?" Nagisa asked him, pointing back at the table, chair, and equipment.

Neloth paused to look back at them with a hint of exasperation, "That's what the Help is for. My servants will be out in a bit. Hurry along, now".

The three of them crested the next hill and there, within a forest of giant mushrooms stood a truly magnificent one the size of a moderate sky-scraper and covering much of the mushroom forest below. At its base was what the girls could only describe as a village of smaller mushrooms and fungal structures, each one with a door that hinted at rooms within. Banners with strange symbols fluttered in the wind at the entrance, illuminated by ball-shaped lights hung from fungal tentacles which also formed a makeshift barrier around the entire settlement. Strange animals that looked like someone had crossed a fat velociraptor with a frog rested in a pen, and a number of guards wearing full-body armor of a material neither girl could identify stood watch.

"...Woah" Kyoko uttered despite herself, her eyes wide. Nagisa was similarly struck. It was like something out of a storybook.

Neloth allowed himself the barest of smug grins, "Welcome to Tel Mithryn, last bastion of the true Telvanni..." his expression shifted to disgust as they approached the entrance and his voice lowered as he spoke mostly to himself, "...And my prison in exile..."

* * *

Waking up was painful. For half a second she'd expected to find herself in the hospital for the ninety-seventh time, and that everything she'd witnessed had just been a terrible nightmare. The timeline would repeat once more, as it always had.

Yet Homura found herself not in Mitakihara Hospital, but instead under a rocky outcropping, hidden on the bank of a river in what looked to be some sort of canyon. The raven-haired girl sat up, finding herself in her normal school uniform. It was late; evening at best. Crawling out of the pitiful excuse for a cave, she looked around at the craggy mountains, dull-colored grass, and small scraggly trees that dotted the scenery. A light drizzle blanketed the mist-ridden landscape.

...Where WAS she? Instinctively, she attempted to move herself to the top of the nearest mountain to get a better look, but nothing happened. She'd only taken a normal step forward. Momentary shock and bafflement quickly became panic when she realized she couldn't feel anything except her own body. She couldn't observe distant galaxies, she couldn't sense the underlying fabric of reality.

She was mortal again.

The would-be demon reached for her dark orb—nothing rested on her ear. On her hand though, was a very familiar ring—HER ring, and a quick test brought out her soul gem, as pristine as the day she'd gotten it, as if it had never been converted. As if she'd never ascended.

Impossible.

"...No" she whispered to herself, "No no no no...Madoka?" she called out to her other half, then louder then the pinkette didn't respond, "MADOKA?!"

Silence. Only the call from a bird flying overhead and the faint rustle of wind over grass as light rain pattered down answered the girl who had once commanded the universe's fundamental forces.

She was alone.

She tried to transform. Maybe...maybe she had her old time powers back. It was a fool's hope, she knew, but it was all she had.

...She couldn't transform. It just didn't happen. She willed it like she always had, but it wouldn't come. She was stuck like this.

Homura remembered the last moments of the old world. She remembered reaching for Madoka, and her reaching back, and both of them trying to pull the other apart. The universe had buckled under the assault, and then...and then…

"No" Homura whispered again, this time even more panicked. She put her hands to her temples as she felt her pulse rose, "No, please no" she screamed again, "MADOKA?! WHERE ARE YOU?! PLEASE, ANSWER ME!" Each call came out as more frantic, more desperate. This couldn't be happening, this just...couldn't be happening. She closed her tear-filled eyes, hoping beyond hope she'd wake up in her bed when she opened them again.

"No..."

Denial gave way to abject despair as she realized what she had done.

She'd killed Madoka. She'd torn her apart with her bare hands. And this time, there were no do-overs.

A guttural blood-curdling scream escaped her lips, shouting to an uncaring universe as she dropped to her knees in the muddy grass in a fit of sorrow, and then just stayed there, crying as the rain got heavier. And when her tears were finally gone, she still did not move so much as an inch all through the night.

This is what it meant to be the devil. Not pride, not scorn, not hate, not endless struggle or sin. Not even a refusal of salvation. It simply meant an absence of God.


	3. 1x02: Magic is in everything

**CHAPTER TWO: MAGIC IS IN EVERYTHING**

* * *

It was early morning when he approached her. The rain was still pouring and she'd been out in it all night, drenched and soaking. She didn't care. She didn't care that her body was numb from the wet cold, or that she hadn't eaten since arriving in this godforsaken place, or that she was covered in mud.

She should die here. She should just suffer and then die here.

Homura had at some point fallen over into the grass, she wasn't sure when. But when the strange man in strange armor (Samurai? Roman? Some cross between the two maybe) rode up to her on a horse and then disembarked, she took notice.

"...What do you want?" she asked flatly, more out of habit than anything.

The man responded in a language she didn't recognize and if she was being honest with herself, she found she didn't really care.

"I don't understand what you're saying" she told him. He attempted conversation a few more times, but she wasn't willing to indulge him further and simply shifted her gaze to the middle distance.

Seemingly frustrated, the man pulled off his gauntlet and knelt down, feeling the girl's forehead and then her pulse. He put his glove back on, and then with a few more alien words in a comforting tone, gingerly took her frail body in his arms and lifted her up in a bridal carry, taking her back to his horse. Some deep part of her wondered where he was taking her, worried that maybe she was going to be taken advantage of. But a larger, more dominant part of her just...didn't care.

Maybe she deserved it. Maybe she deserved to be punished before dying. Pay evil until evil.

The man placed her in front of himself on the horse and then took off at a casual pace to keep the ride from getting too rough, making sure to keep a tight grip on Homura. The rhythmic bounce rocked the exhausted, sleep-deprived girl and despite herself, at some point it lulled her to sleep.

* * *

When Homura came to, she found she'd been placed in a bed. The room—which was made of stone with odd carvings-was full of beds actually; ordered in rows with a fireplace at the end that was currently roaring. Bags, clothes, and armor lay at the side of most of the other beds, and outside she could hear talking.

"...You brought a child here? We're not an orphanage, Nabar. Why didn't you drop her off at the village?"

Another voice, one she recognized as the man who'd taken her, responded—surprisingly in speech she could understand now, "Where, Karthspire? Kolskeggr? The Reach isn't exactly known for its hospitality to non-Reachmen. Unless we're wearing our armor, at any rate. And she clearly didn't belong to anywhere around here, she doesn't even speak Cyrodiilic".

"That would explain the language amulet" the other man sighed, "Probably a slave they imported. Fine. She can stay for now. Don't make a habit of adopting strays though, we don't have the resources, and we don't want The Reach getting on our back. They're hard enough to deal with these days as it is".

"Yes, sir".

Homura looked down under her covers, grasping the amulet hanging from her neck he'd been talking about. She'd been cleaned off and her clothes had been changed too, a basic shirt and trousers.

An amulet that translated speech? Magic that didn't revolve around magical girls or contracts?

This definitely wasn't her home universe. Nothing about this place seemed familiar either-though granted, a lot of her memories of the universe as the devil were fuzzy and disjointed now, with most of the less important background stuff fading away. She wasn't surprised by that, after all how much information could a human mind (or magical girl facsimile) realistically be expected to hold? Still, it was...disconcerting, to say the least. It felt like some of her identity was being washed away against her will.

She sat up before swinging herself off the bed entirely, letting her bare feet touch the cold stone floor. She ignored it and continued forward, stepping out of the room, down the stairs, and into what looked to be the main hall; a large circular chamber built into a cave of some sort, with ornate pillars and an intricate mural stretching across the wall separating it from the stairwell. In the absence of outdoor light the place was lit by torches and braziers, and a number of stone chairs and tables littered the place, all occupied by a host of men and women in various states of armor dress, in the same style as the man who'd found her. Some were eating, others talking, and still others reading or going over maps.

"...Ah, you're awake!" the man's (Nabar, was it?) voice said. Homura turned to him, seeing a dark-skinned man with short hair somewhere in his early thirties, "You dozed off on the ride back. How are you feeling?"

...How WAS she feeling? Empty, mostly. Devoid of feeling. The goal, the person she'd been chasing for so long, was no longer attainable. She'd utterly failed, once and for all. And now after all the grief had ebbed out of her, there was...nothing. She was nothing.

"I'm fine" she said stoically.

"Ah, the name's Nabar, by the way" he said, offering a handshake. She didn't take it, and he retracted it a moment later, somewhat unsure—had he misspoke? He changed the conversation, "...Why were you just laying down out in the wilderness like that? In the cold rain?"

She didn't look at him, instead continuing to watch the others go about their lives, laughing, smiling, talking. "...You should have left me out there".

"...Why?" he asked, concerned, "Don't you know it's dangerous to be out alone in the Reach? The place has taken a turn for the worst since the Forsworn took over. You could have been abducted by bandits, or worse, a Forsworn clan".

She deserved it. "It wouldn't matter".

"..Yes, it would" Nabar replied, his voice starting to rise as he grabbed her shoulder, "Why would you say that? Don't you care?" Homura recognized that tone, that concerned vain self-righteousness. He was just another would-be hero, doing what he thought was good and just without understanding even the slightest. It explained why he'd 'rescued' her and brought her here.

"Where am I?" she asked, changing the subject from topics she didn't want to talk about.

Nabar was taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation, but recovered quickly, "...Oh, here? This is Sky Haven Temple, headquarters of the local chapter of the Blades".

"...The Blades?"

"Ah, dragonslayers, mostly. But we do moonlight with contract work to help pay the bills. You know, caravan protection, cave delvers, village defense, that sort of thing".

"Mercenaries, then" Homura said succinctly.

"...I wouldn't put it like _that_..." Nabar replied, a bit off-balance at the sudden jab, but he couldn't disagree.

Regardless, Homura pressed on, "You mentioned dragonslaying. Is that figurative or do you actually fight dragons?"

Nabar blinked in surprise, "...Wow, you really _aren't_ from around here, are you? Dragons have been a constant problem here for the past half-century. It's the only reason the Forsworn lets us stay here, otherwise they'd have burned this place to the ground and forced us out like they did the Nords".

Most of that went over Homura's head, but that didn't really matter, "So, what happens now?" she asked, still not bothering to give the man eye contact.

Nabar shrugged, "Well...that depends. Is there anywhere we can take you? Where did you live before I found you?"

Homura was silent for a moment, considering her answer carefully. She really didn't have the energy to explain her entire story, nor did she have any reason to believe this man would believe her. She just wanted everything to go away and leave her alone, "...No. No there's not".

He sighed, "Escaped slave, huh? That's what I figured".

"Ah, she's awake" another voice said, one Homura recognized as Nabar's superior. An older caucasian man, mildly overweight with thick silver hair and a beard in full armor minus the helmet approached them, "What's your name, little girl?"

Homura inwardly flinched at the man's disregard. A day ago she could have wiped him from existence without a second thought. But she relaxed, it would do no good to get impotently angry here, "Homura. Homura Akemi".

The elder man's face scrunched up in thought, "Akaviri features, Akaviri name. How in blazes did you end up in Skyrim? Where's your family?"

Gone. Abandoned her to the nuns because they couldn't afford her medical expenses, never to be seen again. Not that they would have survived the events of the day before anyway, "Dead" she said earnestly, "It was years ago".

"You were right, she was a slave the Reachmen imported" Nabar said.

The other man nodded, "Is that so" he turned to Homura, "I am Master Alard, overseer of the Reach chapter of the Blades. So" he turned back to Nabar, "What _are_ you going to do with her?"

Nabar sighed, "She says she has nowhere to go, but surely we can't just send her away".

"...You certainly could" Homura muttered, wishing they would all butt out of her business and leave her be so she could just expire already, but no one was paying attention to her anymore. Damned meddlers.

Alard gave the younger man an expecting look, "Indeed, quite the mess you've made for yourself. How do you intend to fix it?"

Neber fidgeted, realizing the old Master already had some ideas that he probably wasn't going to like, "Er..."

Homura frowned at this sudden troubling turning of events. What was happening, and why didn't she like it?

* * *

Kyoko held the children's book Neloth had all but thrown at her while in the bunk she and Nagisa had been given, while also scratching at the itchy red and black dunmer clothing that had been provided which covered almost every inch of her body. She'd initially bristled when the old man had implied that she needed to cover up more and had given the sexist piece of shit a piece of her mind—until she realized he was referring to the fact that she would literally die from exposure to the ash and cold outside. And as much as she hated to admit it, despite the fact that it didn't fit quite right and wasn't the most comfortable, the thick pants, shirt, and over-robes were definitely warm.

The old man was still a piece of shit though.

The room was small and cramped, though not nearly as gross as Kyoko had initially thought considering the walls were made of fungus. But inside, it was almost more like being inside a tree, with the walls taking on a thick bark-like nature. They'd been taken to one of the smaller buildings, on the edge of the small village, and aside from the bunk bed of which Nagisa had taken the top at her request, there was room for little else aside from a fireplace and a small table with chairs. Not that they'd need anything else, Neloth had told them. He had plans for them, something that put a knot in Kyoko's stomach.

Still, she flipped through the book, pushing down the feelings of being insulted by having been given it. It _was_ helpful in describing where they were and who lived here, as it was basically a geography book for kids.

"Altmer, high elf" she muttered to herself, then flipped the page, "Dunmer, dark elf. Bosmer, wood elf. Dwemer, dwarf" she frowned, flipping through more pages, "Orsimer, orc. Minotaur. Centaur. Giant. Harpy" she slammed the book shut in irritation and looked up at the bed above, "...Did I just get trapped in some nerd fantasy? Sayaka would have loved this shit". A small pang of guilt and pain rose up, but she quelled it, "All we need now is some dragons".

"Page thirty-seven" Nagisa said, hanging over the side of the bed with her own copy of the book to show her. Kyoko looked up at the illustration of a reptilian beast burning down a castle and ignored a childish sense of glee that dragons were real.

"...Okay, that actually is pretty cool" she admitted. She turned the page; Maormer, sea elves. Okay, so basically mermaids with legs, right?

Nagisa flipped back up onto her bed, but after a moment asked hesitantly, "...Are we going to be okay?"

"...I don't know" Kyoko said truthfully, "But, look. Thing is, before Homura's world I never knew if I was going to be okay. I didn't have a home or a future. I stole what I needed and found comfort where I could find it without thinking about next week. My life was all about taking one fight at a time".

"...I'm sorry".

"I don't need your pity" Kyoko bit at her defensively. It was mostly out of habit, but she immediately regretted her words, "Sorry, I didn't mean that. What I'm trying to say is, life is never certain, you know? We should take advantage of what we can while we can, but we shouldn't ever take it for granted because it might not be there tomorrow" Kyoko could feel the other girl shifting awkwardly above her, and realized she needed to sell this better, "But you've got me looking out for you, and I'm a master at this improv shit, okay?"

"...Do you think we'll find the others?"

Kyoko hesitated, the knot in her stomach growing as she considered what Sayaka and Mami would think of her after what she'd done. Would they even give her the time of day? And it hadn't even really been her fault anyway; she'd had no clue Homura had lost her goddamn marbles, and if Sayaka hadn't been an idiot for even a minute and just kept her head down and let the goddesses hash things out between themselves instead of declaring holy war, maybe Homura wouldn't have gone off the deep end to begin with.

"...If they're out there, then someday probably" she said at last. No more questions came out of Nagisa, and few minutes later the redhead could hear soft snores coming from the bed above hers. Kyoko let out a sigh and then turned over as the lantern above instinctively dimmed itself, trying to find sleep herself.

It would not come for a while.

* * *

Days in Frost Creek went by slowly. Mami and Madoka would get up before dawn and over breakfast, as well as whenever business was slow, would be tutored by both Bren and Aia in Cyrodiilic so that they wouldn't have to rely on Aia's language potions indefinitely. Work on that was faster than usual, as using the potion meant they were getting experience with it anyway, though the written part was slower. Mami picked it up more easily and would work with Madoka when given the chance, usually at the end of the night before bed.

After breakfast Bren would open the apothecary, assisted by Mami while Aia would prepare concoctions. Madoka would usually be tasked with deliveries around town, as well as ingredient collection—sometimes assisted by Aia if the shop was slow.

And this is how things went for a couple days. Sayaka was still asleep, and while the monotony was initially a relief in that it allowed for a new status quo to settle that the girls desperately needed, it soon devolved into allowing them to think about things they really shouldn't.

...At least it was sunny out? Even if that did sort of felt like a mockery after everything that had happened.

"Ah, this one thanks you" Na'ruzz told Madoka when she delivered the rockjoint cure to the elderly Kahjiit, the only one living in town. She'd been mildly surprised when first meeting him but not overly so, though Mami had amusingly stopped what she'd been doing at the time and watched with eyes as large as saucers as the six foot feline approached the front counter the other day. To her credit, she'd recovered quickly, but it was one of those things that in retrospect Madoka wished Sayaka or Kyoko had been around to witness their normally unflappable old mentor being absolutely dumbstruck. She never would have heard the end of it.

Madoka on the other hand had known many alien species during her time as the Law of Cycles, including one much like the humanoid cat, though they'd been probably closer to a humanoid cross between a jackal and a bear in terms of appearance. She wished she could remember their name, but she'd found that as time went on, a lot of the less 'necessary' things she'd known and remembered as the Law of Cycles was fading away like a dream after waking up. She didn't like that one bit; it felt like she was losing part of who she was. She still kept the more important things, but stuff like knowing every inch of the universe she'd once protected had fallen away from her.

More than that, with the exception of maybe Homura (if she was even still alive), there was the unspoken fact that there was no one else who would remember the countless civilizations that had populated her universe. She was the sole guardian of their memory now, the one person who knew they had ever existed, and she seemingly couldn't even manage that.

"You're welcome" she replied to the Kahjiit, pulling herself from her thoughts, "I hope you feel better!" she added, as cheerfully as she could. Na'ruzz nodded and closed the door to his house. As soon as she was alone again, Madoka's manufactured cheer evaporated as she let out a deep sigh and slouched over. She didn't even pay attention as she walked back onto the street with her basket. It wasn't until she collided with another body and her basket fell on the ground that she realized there was an old man there.

"Ah!" Madoka shouted in alarm as she scrambled to help the old man up. The man, probably somewhere in his seventies, caucasian, and bald on top, had dropped the contents of his own basket—groceries, from the looks of it, and Madoka quickly tried to put everything back. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking-"

The old man laughed, seemingly not quite as frail as Madoka had initially assumed, "Gave me quite the shock there. Thank you" he said, as Madoka returned his basket to him. She then began to pick up her own items, making sure none of the vials were cracked as the old man continued, sizing her up, "...Ah, you're one of the Akaviri kids, aren't you?"

"Er, I suppose so" Madoka said halfheartedly. She wasn't super keen on the label the town had given her and Mami. Everything she heard about Akavir was contradictory and bizarre, like it was a made-up place meant to be exotic. Snake people that ate humans. Snow demons that froze in the winter. It didn't sound anything like home.

"Ah, where are my manners?" the old man said as Madoka gathered up the last of her materials, "My name is Wulf, I live just outside town" he offered a handshake.

Madoka took it, albeit hesitantly, "Uh, Madoka Kaname".

Wulf looked at her thoughtfully, "Madoka. A pretty name, one I've not heard before" he stretched, wincing in pain with a grunt.

"Are you okay?!" Madoka asked, both concerned and mortified considering.

He waved her off with a chuckle, "I'm fine, just not as young as I used to be. Could you help me over to the bench? I need to rest for a minute".

Madoka nodded and assisted the old man, taking him over to a bench made out of a half-log sitting on the side of the street, right next to the bank of one of the streams that ran through town. "I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention".

Wulf laughed again as he sat down, "Ah, youth. Always so concerned that they never pay attention".

"Er..."

"How have you and your friends been settling in to Frost Creek?"

Oh no. He wasn't just an old man, he was kindly too, and Madoka wasn't exactly in a good headspace for extended small talk. She groaned internally but put on as bright of an appearance as she could, hoping this would be over quickly, "It's been fine. It's a nice town you have here. It's...quaint". Old. Remote. Lacking in basic sanitation. No TV or comforts of home. Missing a few billion peo-

"Ah, I know that look" Wulf said gently, "Missing home, are we? You can be honest with me; I've known the feeling".

"You have?"

"I may be an old Nord, but I was once a soldier. Got sent all over Tamriel in my youth, but while I saw many wonderful places, none of them were ever like home. Home is special. Everywhere else you're bombarded by strange customs and people and sights, and you have little to anchor you. But do you know what helped?"

"What?" Madoka asked, becoming a bit more invested in the conversation, despite herself.

"Friends. The soldiers I worked and fought alongside for years. We became like a second family, and they always made wherever I was feel a little bit more like home".

Madoka smiled at that, but then that quickly turned to a frown, "Some of my friends are missing, and we can't find them" and then there was also…

"...One of yours is sick too, isn't she?" Wulf said comfortingly.

Madoka's eyes widened in shock as she gave him a stare, "How did you-"

Wulf chuckled, "Aia and Bren brought home three girls from the swamp the other day, and one of them didn't look too good. Since then I've only seen you and the little blonde girl. Mami, was it?"

Madoka nodded, "She..." she trailed off hesitantly, not wanting to burden the man.

"It's alright" he replied, "I'm the one who asked. Did nothing in the apothecary help?"

Madoka shook her head, "She won't wake up. I don't know how to make her better".

The old man nodded in understanding, "Sometimes herbs and potions can only get you so far. It may be a deeper affliction" he paused, considering something, "I know a bit of restoration magic. Nothing much, just some things I've picked up over the years".

Madoka looked at him in surprise, "You'd do that for us? I mean, I just knocked you over and-"

"You didn't mean it, and it gave us this wonderful conversation" Wulf said earnestly, "I'll understand if you say no to a complete stranger, but the offer is open".

"I-" wheels were turning in Madoka's head. She had to tell herself that no, she shouldn't get her hopes up, this was only going to disappoint her when nothing happened. She was also slightly hesitant about trusting someone she didn't know in a world she'd never been to, but she was desperate, and the thought of Sayaka finally waking up overcame all others, "...If you'd like to take a look at her, I would be very grateful".

Wulf gave her a wide smile, "I would be happy to help. Come by this afternoon when you have a chance. You can find my house just outside of town, it's the hut at the top of the hill, just past the river" he pointed east, "It's not very far".

Both of them stood up, "I...thank you. Thank you so much" Madoka said gratefully.

"Don't thank me yet, I haven't been successful, but you're welcome all the same" Wulf said, "As it is though, I do need to get going before my food spoils, as do you, I imagine".

Madoka glanced at her basket; she still had a few more deliveries to make, "Yeah, I do. I guess I'll see you later then".

"Until then" Wulf said with a nod, before turning and walking towards his hut.

Despite her best efforts, Madoka couldn't go against who or what she was—hope kindled within her as she watched Wulf disappear in the distance.

* * *

Life in Tel Mithryn was...different, to say the least—even besides just the 'living in mushrooms' part. There weren't any stairs beyond the walkways outside, though thankfully Neloth had saw fit to install levitation enchantments so that one could go from floor to floor within the various buildings of the village. Everything was strange; strange animals, strange building materials, strange people.

There were two items on Neloth's agenda for them. The first was education; he wasn't going to have anyone on his staff that didn't know their way around basic magic or the world around them. Solstheim was a dangerous place and those working for him were expected to be able to take care of themselves.

Nagisa had been excited about that, but when she asked him what he was going to teach them first, in true Neloth fashion he had replied, "I don't 'teach'. That's what the help is for" before immediately delegating tasks to a number of his servants.

And so the girls soon found themselves back in school, despite Kyoko's protests. Every day a number of subjects each with different tutors would roll by one after the other—language, geography, history, and then basic spellcraft and self-defense. In self defense Kyoko was a prodigy, and Neloth soon realized neither she nor Nagisa were going to need much help there. They might not have had access to their powers but enough experience had, especially in Kyoko's case, built up quite a lot of muscle memory, never-mind the levels of strength and hardiness both had demonstrated.

Spellcraft on the other hand, well…

A jolt of electricity sent Kyoko flying into a wall.

"...Ow" she muttered, her body spasming against her will as she lay in a heap on the floor.

"You were supposed to put up a ward" her teacher, a middle-aged female dark elf with the personality of a brick said, "Are you intentionally ignoring your lesson?"

Kyoko pulled herself to her feet in a fit of agitation, despite her muscles protesting deeply, still shrugging off the after-effects of being struck by lightning, "I'm _trying_. It's not _my_ fault your spells aren't working!"

"The spell works, you're just not getting it" the woman grunted with irritation. Then she turned to a small chest she'd brought with her, "Fine. We'll put on training wheels first". She opened the chest and pulled out a roll of paper, "This is a scroll for lesser ward, a basic spell" she tossed it to her, and Kyoko caught it in her hands, "We can use scrolls as substitutes for innate magical knowledge by encoding the spell on them and then releasing them when the time is right. It allows laypeople to perform magic without any experience. Now" the teacher got back into position, "Get your ward up".

Another bolt of lightning came flying at Kyoko, who opened her scroll and faced it at the oncoming attack—even as she flinched, preparing for another painful lesson. To her surprise however, the spell activated, and the scroll evaporated as a magical barrier threw itself around her. The lightning attack bounced off harmlessly, and soon after the barrier faded away.

Kyoko glanced at her hands as the glow faded away, "...So why can't _I_ cast?"

"Because you're going about it the wrong way" Neloth said, stepping into the room, "You're still trying to draw power from your soul gem, which as we've well documented at this point isn't working. So it's no surprise that nothing's happening. Besides" he stroke his beard, "Soul magic is dangerous even ignoring your particular brand, and I don't think you have any...what was it, wraith cubes?"

"Grief cubes" Nagisa corrected him, watching the whole thing as she waited her turn on a stack of boxes in the corner.

Neloth waved her off, "Whatever, you don't have anything that will replenish your soul magic anyway. It's a losing proposition, and I will NOT have you turn into some gruesome eldritch horror on my property".

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" Kyoko asked, exasperated, "I've been getting thrown into walls for the past three days!"

Neloth grunted with annoyance at such basic questions, "Because you're not paying attention to the lessons, child. Magic is in everything. It's the light that comes down from Magnus, the sun. It exists all around us. You need to learn to cast from the innate reserves your body has, not your soul".

Kyoko looked back down at her hands, annoyed and angry at herself for not getting something this seemingly simple. How was she supposed to 'cast from her body'? How was that supposed to feel different? As a magical girl she just...did things, like moving an arm or a leg, it just happened naturally.

Neloth sighed, "But enough for today" he nodded at the teacher, who nodded back and motioned for Nagisa to take Kyoko's place. Neloth turned back to the redhead, "It's time".

Grumbling, Kyoko followed the old wizard out of the ring as the teacher began to knock Nagisa around—she wasn't much getting the hang of this new version of magic either. This was the second item on Neloth's agenda, and the reason he was allowing them to stay here at all—experimentation. She was his guinea pig—it had to be her too; she'd steadfastly refused to let Neloth experiment on Nagisa. He'd been quite irritated about that; being able to directly study an aspect of a fallen god would do WONDERS for his research, but he supposed he would settle for working on Kyoko instead while interrogating Nagisa as much as possible.

Kyoko wondered why she was putting up with this assault on her dignity at all, but the answer for her was always the same: the alternative was her and Nagisa being thrown to the literal wolves out in the wilds. She needed shelter, food, protection. So she put up with it—with any luck the lessons would eventually pay off and then she'd rob Neloth out of house and home and high-tail it to the nearest town.

Maybe set fire to a few things while the old man was asleep too. Now _that_ sounded like a plan!

A short walk took them outside, then up into Neloth's personal tower and workspace within the central mushroom via a levitation enchantment. The interior was exactly how you'd imagine an eccentric wizard living within a giant mushroom would live, with magical contraptions littered all over the place. In one corner a pair of cages sat, one of which had what Kyoko could only describe as a living tree person...except it wasn't living anymore, its bark skin beginning to peel off as it lay motionless on the ground.

"...So why _isn't_ my soul gem working?" Kyoko asked him as they levitated up to the wizard's workspace.

Neloth didn't miss a beat, "How should I know?" he asked crankily, "I'm not your goddess".

"All this time poking at my gem and you don't have a clue?"

He gave her an incredulous glare as he rounded his work table, "It's been three days, and _you_ won't let me study your companion" he sighed and stroked his beard, "If I _had_ to make a wild guess, however? The entities that govern Tamriel have had long-documented defenses against outside incursion. It's why Daedric Lords can't manifest their full powers here, or invade with armies. Your friend is an aspect of a goddess foreign to this world, yet you somehow punched through the walls of reality and arrived here. It's only natural to assume there would be consequences of some sort".

Huh. The local gods were somehow banning her magical girl powers? Except, there was still one snag in that theory.

"...But I was never taken by the Law of Cycles" Kyoko reminded him, folding her arms in frustration.

"Perhaps not from your point of view, but your companion did say that your Law of Cycles was an entity that transcended time and was the guardian of all...what was that insipid term? 'Magical Girls'? You may have never reached the endpoint of your life, but I would imagine she certainly did, at least in one version of events. Hence, you are still linked to her, and have been ever since you made that contract".

Kyoko blinked, the wheels in her head spinning in overdrive as she felt a headache coming on "Wait...are..." she wasn't sure how to process this, "...Are you trying to tell me that it all happened anyway, somehow? Like, retroactively?"

"I think you'll find that time is a fluid thing, rather than an absolute like the unwashed masses like to pretend" Neloth said, clearly bored, then extended his hand expectantly, "Now then. Your soul gem please".

Putting aside _that_ particular mindscrew for now (she wasn't sure how she felt about that), Kyoko summoned her gem and reluctantly turned it over to the old man, before standing over where he pointed.

"Today I want to try something a little different" Neloth said. Kyoko inwardly sighed in relief; yesterday had been mostly about Neloth poking her gem and seeing how much pain he could put her in, "You said the maximum distance you can put between your body and your soul is about a hundred meters, correct?"

Well, so much for an easy day. Kyoko swallowed, suddenly very uncertain about her life choices, "...Yeah?"

Neloth continued with a nod, "What I want to know is, are there other restrictions? For instance, what if I place a silence spell over your soul gem? Will that cut the connection, or do you have a deeper link to your body?"

"…'Silence'?" Kyoko asked, suddenly afraid.

"Ah, it's a simple spell" Neloth said, uncaring to her worries, "It temporarily disables magical use of any object or person of my choosing. If applied properly, it can be used as an area-of-effect spell as well" he put the red soul gem down on a table and immediately his hands went to work.

...Wait, he was doing it right NOW? She was still standing up! "Wait!" she called to him, "Let me-"

Kyoko's husk fell to the floor in an awkward pile.

"...Huh, interesting" Neloth said nonchalantly, jotting down some notes.

* * *

She was a slave. Ironic, considering what they thought they were rescuing her from. Oh sure, she was being paid for her work and the expectation was that one day in a few years she'd graduate into being a full member of the Blades when she was old enough, but she was a slave. She couldn't leave, obviously, it wasn't 'safe' out in the Reach.

Alard had had the crazy idea of making Homura Nabar's page. They couldn't let her go and in Alard's words, it would make Nabar think twice about bringing in more homeless children in the future. Already Nabar had gotten quite a lot of ribbing from his companions about how they wished they had a servant too, greatly embarrassing the good-natured man.

As for Homura, in practice she was more a ward of the entire temple rather than just Nabar. She cleaned, learned how to maintain armor, put up practice dummies, and generally did what menial tasks needed doing. When she wasn't being the maid, she was being given lessons on language (so she didn't have to wear the amulet forever) and general knowledge. Attempts at giving her lessons in self-defense and combat had flopped when she'd 'accidentally' managed to break her tutor's leg during practice which led to a six-and-a-half-foot tall nord veteran of the Reach wars and sixteen separate dragon hunts being wheeled out thanks to a waif of a fourteen year old girl.

At first all of this had been out of extreme reluctance; there was no part of Homura that wanted to be here, and more than once while working outside in the garden had considered just throwing herself off the side of the mountain the temple rested on into the jagged rocks below so she could slowly bleed out or succumb to the elements. Or maybe just taking a sword and lopping her head off. Or even maybe forgoing the melodrama altogether for once and just unceremoniously crushing her soul gem.

Yet she hadn't.

That would be too easy, wouldn't it? After what she'd done? She didn't deserve to die quickly, even if it was excruciatingly painful. She deserved to grow old and know she had failed, know she would never see Madoka again. She deserved to live in her shame for the rest of her days instead of taking the coward's way out.

She deserved to suffer, forever if need be.

Whenever she wasn't working or being trained, including during food breaks, Homura could usually be found in the library, going over texts and scrolls as she devoured the knowledge of this world and how it worked. She would study late into the night, ignoring any need for sleep. Not all of this was academic; it also kept her away from others' attempts at socialization. She wanted nothing to do with the 'honorable' mercenaries she found herself forcibly employed by. She could hear them laughing and talking in the main hall, and she hated it. She hated what she could never have. What she didn't deserve to have.

Unfortunately for her, not everyone took the hint so easily.

"What'cha reading?"

The voice startled her, and she looked up to see a middle-aged gentleman. He looked...Breton? That was the term, right? His moderately-long hair was white, having lost all coloring some time ago, and carried a thick beard. He actually looked a bit like Alard, if Alard was much thinner.

"Ooh!" the man said, looking down at her book, "An invisibility spell. Very nice, very nice. More of an alteration guy, myself. Always makes good for a prank or two".

Homura's brow furrowed, "...And you are…?"

"Oh, where are my manners!" the man said, swinging around and taking a seat across from her at the table she was at, "Name's Theodor Gorlash. You're the new girl, right? HomuHomu?"

Homura glared, repressing an urge to break a second man's limb this week, "Homura Akemi. What do you want?"

The man's unsettling smile never wavered, "Nothin' much. Just seeing how our new recruit is settling in. I think you're kind of interesting. An Akaviri in the wilds of Skyrim? How exotic! Especially being found after that meteor shower".

Homura blinked. Wait, what? "...What are you talking about?"

Theodor leaned back, "What? No one's told you?! There was a big meteor shower a few nights ago, completely unscheduled. Normally these things are predicted and cataloged in advance by boring people, you know? But no, this one came out of nowhere, and nobody really knows why".

"...What does that have to do with me?" Homura asked, humoring the man.

"Never said it did!" he said as if he was struggling to keep from laughing over a joke only he got, "But it wouldn't be the first time something entered the Mundus from beyond, would it? Ask the dark elves about Baar Dau sometime and watch the expressions on their faces, it's a hoot!"

"Wait" Homura said as pieces started to click together in her mind. Despite her best efforts, emotion began to creep in as she stood up, her hands planting themselves on the table as she leaned over, "What do you mean 'came from beyond'? Are you implying I came from the meteor shower?"

"Naw, of course not" Theodor replied, "You came from Akavir, right? It'd be really confusing to come from two places at once, I'd imagine. Hah! Still, it was a stunning sight. Absolutely stunning. You shoulda been there!"

Homura's eyes briefly flickered over to the library's small astronomy section, then back to Theodor as she sat back down, "I see" Theodor didn't respond, instead just sitting there with a small grin plastered on his face. Homura was unamused and was quickly running out of patience, "...Is there anything else?" she asked, barely masking her contempt for the odd man who was interrupting her work.

"Theodor, what are you doing?" Nabar asked from the doorway. For the first time, Homura was thankful for her would-be master's timely arrival.

Theodor for his part looked like a cat that had been caught in the act of doing something it shouldn't have done, "Ah, just getting to know your friend here. She's been such a ghost this whole time. It's not healthy for a child her age! She should be out with the other kids, playin' hopscotch, jumping in barrels of hay, settin' ants on fire in the garden with a wee bit of sun magic..."

"You can leave now" Homura told the old man. Nabar looked at him expectantly, and Theodor knew when the game was over.

"Very well" he said with a bow after standing up, "Till next time, young lady!"

"Sorry about him" Nabar said after Theodor had left.

"...Who was he?" Homura asked. Something about the man had unnerved her slightly.

Nabar shrugged, "Theodor? Eh, he's harmless enough, just ignore him. I'm not really sure where he came from, I'm not sure anyone really knows, he just kind of showed up at our doorstep a few months ago and before you know it he was taking the oath. Don't know why Alard made him a Blade, but we get some weird ones in here sometimes" there was a pregnant pause as Homura didn't bother to respond. Nabar cleared his throat, "...Anything else you need?"

Homura shook her head and returned to her book, "No". Nabar knew by know his use was at an end here, and wisely backed out without another word. She waited until she was alone, and then closed the spellbook and turned her attention to the astronomy section.

* * *

"Thanks for coming with us" Madoka said, as Mami carried Sayaka's sleeping form along the street leading out of town.

"It's no problem" Mami replied, shifting Sayaka's weight on her back, "I wouldn't want you to deal with this alone". She was just a tad suspicious; some random old man had just happened to (literally) run into Madoka who had all the answers and could fix things in a way no one else could? It wasn't that she didn't trust Madoka, far from it—she had been god, after all. But desperation was a flaw all its own, something Mami was all too familiar with.

It was best to be cautious of grifters.

The three girls left town, passed the river bridge and headed up the hill surrounded by knotted trees and wild undergrowth. Ahead though, at the top of the hill lay Wulf's hut. It wasn't particularly impressive, just an average lower-class nordic house, but neither was it particularly ramshackle. Madoka knocked on the door, and Wulf soon opened it and greeted them with a smile.

"Ah, good to see you. Come in, come in. I've just prepared some tea".

The girls stepped inside to find a cozy atmosphere; a table and chairs, a bed, a roaring fireplace, and even a small bar and library in the corner. Wulf motioned them to lay Sayaka down on his bed as he brought over the chairs from his table so they could all sit.

"Ah, my name is Mami Tomoe" Mami said, introducing herself.

"Good to meet you, Ms Tomoe" Wulf said with a toothy smile, then shook her hand after delivering her chair. As the two girls sat down, Wulf grabbed the tea he'd prepared and poured a cup for each of them and himself, "Frost Creek is fairly remote; it's rare we get too many visitors from out of town, aside from the occasional family relative from Morthal. I don't often get to play host, so I relish the opportunity when it comes along".

"I always liked being a host too" Mami said, gratefully accepting the cup—then covertly sniffed it just to make sure. It smelled fine, "It always made me feel less alone".

"Company is the antithesis of solitude" Wulf agreed, sitting down, "One cannot exist alone, no matter how strong one's fortitude".

"You said you were a soldier?" Madoka asked him before taking a sip. She made a slight face; it was a bit too bitter for her, but said nothing.

Wulf nodded, "Yes, I was in the Imperial Legion, many years ago. Haven't been for a long time though, not since the Empire fell".

"What happened to it? Your empire, I mean" Mami asked.

Wulf's smile vanished as he put his cup down. He looked at the fire he had going, "...Why do all empires fall? Politics, greed. People cutting each other down because of conflicting visions of how they think the world should be" he sighed, looking back at them, "The truth is, the empire had been on its deathbed for a while, but with the civil war here in Skyrim and the assassination of the emperor...well, it didn't end well".

"I'm sorry" Madoka said earnestly.

"Bah, listen to me, just an old man stuck in the past" Wulf said, correcting himself, "Nothing lasts forever, and the empire was old. It was time for something new to take its place".

"And what would that be?" Mami asked.

Wulf gave her sad smile, "I think the world is still trying to figure that out. Now" he clapped his hands, having put down his tea as his attitude suddenly became much more upbeat, "I think we should try to wake your friend if we can, hmm?"

To this, Madoka's mood shifted dramatically and she stood up excitedly, leaning over Sayaka's bed, "How do we do this?"

Wulf couldn't help but admire her enthusiasm, "The first thing is to determine the problem. Do either of you have any idea what might be wrong with her?"

Mami and Madoka shared an uneasy look, to which Wulf responded, "...I can't help her if I don't know what she needs. What is said here won't leave this house, I assure you".

Madoka exhaled, steadying herself as she chose her path. Sayaka wasn't getting any better—even if her slowly purifying gem did wake her up, it would be months from now before it was clean. She had to act. The pinkette pulled a small ornate object from her pocket—egg-shaped and gold, with a dark interior. "It's not her body that's sick...it's her soul".

Wulf gestured to her, and Madoka, after a second of hesitation, handed the gem off to him. He carefully inspected the object, then looked down at Sayaka, "Ahh, I see. You're a lich". Not a judgment, a simple statement of fact. Tension filled the room, with the girls not sure what would happen next.

Wulf put the soul gem on the bed next to Sayaka. His voice was grave, "You are right to be cautious. Skyrim is a conservative and traditionalist place even in the best of times, and these are certainly not the best of times. There are many places where almost all magic aside from restoration is frowned upon, and most cultures across Tamriel in general abhor necromancy".

"We're not dead...not exactly" Madoka protested, "We just..." how to explain the magical girl system in under a minute with no context? "...We were lied to. We all made a wish, and this was the consequence. We don't want to hurt anyone. Please" her eyes gave a pleading look.

Wulf gave her a reassuring smile, "I do not mean to judge; I have been all over Tamriel and seen many places and people. I am simply telling you for your own benefit—be wary of who you trust with this, or you may find yourselves on the wrong end of a witch hunt".

Both Mami and Madoka paled a bit. The silence was deafening.

"...I'm sorry" Madoka said quietly, not sure what else to do at the moment.

"Never apologize for what you are" Wulf replied, "Only for what you do" he saddened, "Unfortunately, there's not much I can do for your friend. Complex soul magic such as this is rare and dangerous, and I don't pretend to know how your soul container works".

Madoka's remaining enthusiasm left her eyes, "...You can't help us" she said, confirming her own fears. They were back to square one.

He shook his head and Mami and Madoka's hearts sunk, "I truly am sorry. However" they perked back up a bit, "I know where you can find someone who can".

"Where?" asked Madoka.

"The College of Winterhold. It's a dangerous journey though, through well over a week of hostile tundra and icy seas. You'll need to be able to protect yourselves" Wulf stood up, gently handing Sayaka's soul gem back to Madoka, before heading over to his small library shelf and pulling out an atlas.

"Protect ourselves how?" Mami asked curiously after taking a sip of her tea.

A wry grin formed on Wulf's face, "Magic, of course".

* * *

The next day, Madoka and Mami arrived at Wulf's place at the same time. He led them a small distance further into the swamp, to a grove of knotted trees on some dry ground away from the town. While yesterday had been somewhat sunny, today the swamp was a bit colder and much foggier, giving it a much more threatening appearance.

"We haven't been able to cast magic since coming here" Madoka told him as they sat down on some rocks, "Normally we'd just use our gems, but they haven't been responding".

"As I've said before, soul magic is dangerous" Wulf said, "A soul is itself energy, and using that energy up will diminish it and corrupt what's left. It's why most people don't do it to themselves, because using their own soul to power their spells will inevitably kill them".

None of that was news to the girls, but the central question remained, "So how do we use magic then?" Mami asked him, leaning forward on her rock.

Wulf explained, "Magic comes from Aetherius, a realm beyond this one. It filters down to us through the sun and stars, which is why being born under certain constellations may have an effect on one's personality and magical persuasion". To this, both girls frowned with skepticism—astrology wasn't what they'd really signed up for here but Wulf pressed on, ignorant of their cynicism, "From there magic inhabits all things. Magic is in everything; in every creature that moves, in every natural phenomenon that occurs. It's in the air you breath, the water you drink, the ground you walk on. It's energy, and without it this world could not exist".

"...It combats entropy" Madoka said knowingly.

"Exactly!" Wulf said, wagging his finger approvingly, "Your soul is magic, yes, but your body has a reservoir of magic as well, as does everything around you. Now" he stood up, "Who would like to try a simple candlelight spell?"

Both girls stood up, but Madoka was slightly faster—a fact that made her flush a bit with embarrassment when she realized she'd essentially cut Mami off, but the blonde gave her the go ahead with a smile and graciously sat back down. She could wait.

Wulf approached the former goddess and cast his own version of the spell. A soft pale light emerged from his palms, floating upwards until it hovered above the three, lazily moving about until it vanished.

"Candlelight is an alteration spell, designed to provide a small light in dark places. Care to try?" he asked Madoka. The pinkette nodded and then with an almost comedic face of concentration began to try and summon her own light source. After a moment of tense silence, she sighed and slumped over in defeat.

"It's not working..."

Wulf chuckled, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "That's because you're still trying to cast from your soul, not your body".

"How am I supposed to do that?" Madoka asked back, frustrated, "I don't know how!"

"Casting from your soul is like using a muscle, right? Then casting from another source is like using another muscle you don't use as often. It might be hard at first, but once you get it, you'll never forget it". Wulf replied as Madoka began to try again, "I can't tell you exactly how to do it, magic is a personal effort for everyone involved".

* * *

"_No one draws magic or weaves it in the same way. It's not a science, despite what some may tell you. It's an art"._

Kyoko begrudgingly stood back up, her clothes and hair singed from the flames spell she'd just received. The teacher was prepared to stop there, but Kyoko told her to get back in the ring and throw another goddamn fireball. The teacher was hesitant, but honored her request anyway.

Another round of fire came her way, and Kyoko would not budge.

...And then the fire stopped dead in its tracks. Kyoko's hands shone with a golden glow, and with that faint grip Kyoko pushed further as she grit her teeth, getting a better handle on the ward. A defensive shield of light emerged from her hands and Nagisa cheered on excitedly.

With a final push, Kyoko knocked the fireball aside, and it impacted the bark-like wall harmlessly. Kyoko was sweating buckets and panting heavily, her body still smoldering and in pain...but she had a wolf-like grin of satisfaction plastered on her face from ear to ear.

* * *

"_Imagine painting, or sculpting, or baking. You can teach someone the basics, the principles of what makes something good or bad. But ultimately?_

Star charts and books littered the table where Homura had been studying. Topics like 'Baar Dau'-the rogue asteroid that had evaporated Vivec City, the constellations, the planes of Oblivion and Aetherius, skyshards and the Planemeld, meteoric glass—_anything_ about objects falling from the sky, and various schools of magic had been pulled from the shelves of the library. Homura for her part stood in front of a stool where the invisibility spellbook sat face-open.

Homura calmed herself again, ready for her one hundred and fifth consecutive try.

Again, nothing happened. Homura let out a frustrated grunt, but steadied herself, looked at the book once more, and then prepared her one hundred and sixth consecutive attempt.

This time, magical sparks came out.

However, on her one hundred and eighth consecutive attempt at invisibility, Homura seemingly vanished from the world.

"_Ultimately, magic is an expression of who we are, and how we exert our will on the world around us"._

* * *

They'd been in the swamp all evening.

Exhausted after hours of nothing and over a hundred attempts, Madoka let a small giggle escape her disbelieving lips as a small soft light floated above her, illuminating the swamp in the otherwise dying light of the evening. It had taken all afternoon, but she'd finally succeeded.

Her light, that she'd made with her own two hands. It was such a shadow of what she'd used to be capable of, and yet...it meant all the world to her right now.

Wulf nodded approvingly, "It just takes practice".


	4. 1x03: Events have begun

**CHAPTER THREE: EVENTS HAVE BEGUN WHICH CANNOT BE UNDONE  
**

* * *

_In the beginning, there was Anu, the unchanging, eternal void. From that came Padomay, the possibility for change, and from their union emerged the Et'ada—the original spirits, the barest urges and concepts of what could be._

_One of these urges, Madoka, came up with a plan: a world where the Et'ada could learn to live and grow, to transcend who they were and become greater. She believed things could be better than they were. A number of other Et'ada joined her cause and began to design their new world together, and for a time it was good. Mami made the space in the void for this new creation, while Sayaka, Nagisa, Kyoko, and many others provided their energy and will. Even the aloof dragon of time Homura was eventually persuaded to join, honeyed by Madoka's words._

_But Madoka deceived them, for the world was not like how they imagined. There was struggle and strife, pain and mortality, and the promise hope had delivered seemed beyond reach. Discontentment rumbled beneath the surface, for this was not the grand vision that had been sold to them._

_Homura, the great dragon, confronted Madoka and tore her heart from her chest, leaving her body behind to form the half-moon, an ever-present reminder of how this world had been permanently marred and broken. Her heart was thrown into Red Mountain, and Madoka herself was forced to wander the world she had created, slinking around in a dead skin._

* * *

Madoka awoke with a start, the vibrant and disturbing dream following her into the waking world. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. It was still dark out, and she could hear both Mami and Sayaka's soft breathing beside her in the bed, reminding her where she was. One nightmare for another, she supposed. Still, their rhythmic inhale and exhale began to allow the fallen goddess to begin to drift back into slumber.

"Ma-do-ka".

Madoka's eyes snapped open. She knew that voice. Sitting up, she saw a child, no older than three, holding onto the ladder leading to the main floor of the cabin. Instantly she recognized who it was—there was no mistaking that messy light brown hair or that chubby face.

"Tatsuya" Madoka breathed in disbelief.

"Ma-do-ka!" he said again in a cheerful manner, before ascending the ladder.

"Tatsuya, wait!" Madoka called, doing her best to keep her voice down as she jumped out of bed. She climbed after him, catching his form trotting out the door just as she made it upstairs. "Come back!"

Madoka forwent shoes or a jacket, ignoring the cool weather and the hard, uneven dirt road as she chased after someone she'd thought dead. By the time she was outside, he was already down the street near the edge of town, laughing happily as he went—how fast could a toddler be?!

"Tatsuya, slow down!" she called, running after him as he went around the corner of a building. She rounded the same corner and then stood, looking around frantically for where her brother had gone.

A hand grabbed her shoulder. She snapped back, swinging in alarm only to find Mami with a concerned look on her face.

"Mami!" Madoka said in a panic, "I saw Tatsuya! He's around here, he's-"

"Madoka" Mami's grip tightened, but was still comforting, "You were sleepwalking".

"But Tatsuya-"

"Isn't here".

Tears welled up in Madoka's eyes even as she finally shrugged off sleep, "I thought..."

"I know" Mami hugged her as she felt Madoka's quiet sobs, "...This is the third time this week" the blonde said quietly, worried; the third time Madoka had been caught sleepwalking towards the edge of town, following someone she knew. The first time it had been her mother, but the last two it had been Tatsuya.

Normally both girls would pass it off as nerves, but the weird part of it was, the dreams always led Madoka in the same direction—to the town's south exit.

"Come on, let's go back inside" Mami told her, leading Madoka back towards the apothecary.

"...Something wants me to go south" Madoka murmured as they walked, leaning against Mami for comfort, "I can feel it. It gets stronger every night".

"What do you think it is?"

Madoka shook her head, "I don't know".

* * *

Mami was fast; the blonde girl had sworn she'd never picked up a sword before, yet she was somehow channeling her ribbon-throwing skills into her melee combat with surprising clarity. For her it was less swordplay and more an interpretive dance, and Madoka was having a hard time just keeping pace. The blond swung her practice stick for Madoka's legs, and the pinkette jumped and rolled in midair just in time to avoid some nasty bruises. When she landed, Mami was already on her again, and Madoka found herself once again perpetually on the defensive until Mami sidestepped Madoka's practice stick and slammed her weapon into Madoka's side. The 'younger' girl took a tumble, landing in the dirt with a victorious Mami standing above her—who a moment later offered a hand, one that Madoka gladly took.

"Excellent job, Mami" Wulf said as he approached the two, tea kettle and cups in hand, "Unorthodox, but excellent. Though beware that your style doesn't become a hindrance. I saw a lot of wide movements that could create openings for your opponents" he said as he poured the cups and handed one to her.

"Thank you" she said with a breath, taking what he'd said under advisement.

Wulf handed another cup to Madoka, "A definite improvement, but you're still aiming for Mami's sword instead of Mami".

Madoka sighed, slumping, "I know. But I start fighting and then I just have to keep blocking or I get hit".

"The easiest way to not get hit is to avoid the blow" Wulf replied, "The reason Mami beat you is that she wasn't where your sword was, but she was where your sword wasn't".

"...Surely you don't expect us to be sword masters in the span of a few days" Mami said curiously. It had been quite the surprise when today Wulf took a break from magic theory to give them pointers on how to wield the blade.

Wulf smiled as he sat down on a log, taking a sip from his cup, "No, I don't. But I do expect you to know enough of the basics for it to save your life. The truth is that most bandits don't really know any sword-fighting techniques; they just pick up a weapon and start swinging it like a club, meaning you'll have an advantage, if only a slight one" he looked up at Mami, "Your ranged skills are commendable, but they are still a weakness if that's all you know and you have no one to back you up. And until your friend wakes up, you will have to pick up the slack".

Wulf glanced at the evening sun, "It's getting late, and I assume Bren and Aia will soon be looking for you. We'll pick this up again tomorrow".

"Aia said she was taking care of dinner tonight" Mami said as they began to walk, "So we're not that late today, thankfully".

Madoka made a non-committal noise, but otherwise did not respond to Mami. The blond girl walked closer to her, "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Madoka asked, waking from her thoughts, "Yeah, sorry. Just...thinking".

"About the dream?"

Madoka nodded, "I don't know what's down south. All I know is that something wants me to go there" she turned to Wulf, "What do you think?"

They'd told Wulf _some_ of what had happened last night, as much as they could without revealing everything about who they really were and came from. He frowned, thinking, "If you genuinely feel something is pulling you, it's probably best to find out what it is. That said, I still think you should go to the College first".

"What if what I'm feeling is urgent?" Madoka asked him with a slight edge of panic to her voice, "What if it's not there later?"

"Do you know where your dreams want you to go?" he asked, to which she shook her head, "If you don't know how far south you need to go, wandering around in the wilderness without a guide or proper supplies is not a good plan of attack. The College is still your best bet—they can help you wake your friend, find your other friends, and help you get your bearings better than I can. They even might be able to help you figure out what your dreams mean".

"...Do you really think they'll help us?" Madoka asked him, "We're not exactly important".

Wulf seemed to repress a chuckle over something only he found funny, "I believe they'd be more willing to help you more than you might think".

"And why is that?" Mami asked, curious.

"Just a hunch of mine" was Wulf's response as they neared the town, "The College are good people. Eccentric, but good".

* * *

"So why were you banished?"

Neloth looked up from his work table at the source of the voice. Nagisa sat on another empty table over in the corner, her short legs dangling above the floor. He blinked in surprise, he hadn't heard her come in. Had he been that engrossed in his work? "What are you doing here? I hadn't scheduled a session for you today" he asked as he returned to his work.

"I was done with my lessons and...well, Kyoko's in a bad mood" Nagisa said, frowning. When she'd left, Kyoko and the teacher had been in the middle of a screaming match, and Nagisa didn't want to deal with it. She hated seeing Kyoko like that, and there wasn't much Nagisa could do to help her. Despite her victory the other day, the redhead had remained tense and brooding, and was gradually getting worse. On one hand Nagisa could understand; the silver-haired girl was doing her best to play it off, but the culture shock was finally starting to catch up with her as well. She had no frame of reference to anything familiar, and that was just making her cling to both her studies and Kyoko even harder.

Even normal food items were just off enough to make them feel weird; 'ash yams' and 'guar cheese'.

Neloth paused, looking back up, "Why? I thought she was finally starting to get it" he said, referring to the magic lessons.

Nagisa shrugged, "Yeah, she is. All except illusion magic, anyway. And right now all the teacher wants is for us to practice that".

Neloth grunted in irritation, "So why don't you go cheer her up?"

"...Kyoko's better when she has time to cool off" Nagisa replied. After a moment, she asked again, "So why are you in exile?" It was best to distract herself instead of focusing on her problems.

The mage took a steadying breath; so this was how today was going to be, huh? "Because House Redoran decided I'm too dangerous to be free, but also too dangerous to kill. So I'm stuck here".

"Why?"

That simple word was enough to make Neloth clench, "_Because_" he said as evenly as possible as he was forced to recount history because of a nine year old's incessant questions, "_Once upon a time_ there were five Houses on the Council that ruled Morrowind. Terrible things happened two and a half centuries ago, and one of the houses, House Hlaalu, was dishonored and replaced with House Sadras. Unfortunately for all involved, Sadras had ties to a foreign power, the Aldmeri Dominion. Sadras got power-hungry and moved against the leading house, Redoran...something that didn't end well for them. When the dust settled, Redoran decided to abandon the Council altogether and subjugated what was left of the other major houses by force. Those who resisted were dealt with severely".

"So you're the last of the Telvanni?"

"The true Telvanni, yes" Neloth muttered with distaste, "Some Redoran-knockoff guild exists within their employ, and there are a handful of idiot children without any real skill or talent calling themselves the 'New Telvanni' or whatever holed up on the island of Telvannis against all odds. But yes, I am the last grand mage of the old order. Or..." he thought for a moment, "At least the last _confirmed_" he sighed, reminding himself that Divayth Fyr had just outright vanished one day a few weeks before Red Mountain erupted never to be seen again, "We were few in number even before Red Year, and we never recovered from the Argonian invasion".

"...Red Year?"

Neloth nodded absentmindedly as he continued (or at least pretended to continue) his work, "Two and a half centuries ago when that volcano outside erupted and never stopped. Dunmer history since that point has been a mix of chaos and stupidity" he sighed, thinking back, "…Morrowind used to be beautiful. Verdant plains and forests. We were a society of artisans and scholars. Now we huddle in poverty like ashlanders".

He looked back up at Nagisa as he swept away from the table and over towards her as he changed the conversation back, "House Redoran won't bother me because they know they'd lose more men than is worth it, and in return I 'acknowledge' their suzerainty, for whatever that's worth. It works out well for us. I get to exist in this frigid, remote hellscape for the rest of my life, and they get to pretend they matter in the long run. Everybody wins" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Now, why are you here, besides to ask questions you could find in a book? Do you want something to do? Because I promised your friend I wouldn't start experimenting on you, but if you're just going to walk into my workspace, who am I to say no?"

Nagisa flinched a bit at that, not fully having considered she was walking into the lion's den. She'd felt guilty that Kyoko had taken on the majority of the burden herself which, she supposed that was part of why she'd wandered in here, but it was more that she had another question on her mind. Nagisa grasped the language amulet she still wore. She'd spent most of the first day taking the amulet on and off, seeing how far she could lift it above her shoulders before the teacher's speech stopped making sense—at least until the teacher made her stop so she could start paying attention to the lessons.

"...How do enchantments work?" she asked suddenly, knocking Neloth off-guard.

"Excuse me?"

"Enchantments. How do they work?" Nagisa repeated, "I've been trying to look stuff up on them in the library, but I think those books are still a bit above my reading level".

"Naturally. Enchantment is a higher-level magical subject and requires more skill than simply lobbing fireballs around" Neloth regarded the girl curiously for a moment, "...Why are you interested?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. It looks...neat, and it's different from what I'm used to".

Neloth's expression was unreadable, but he relented, "I'll...have some basic enchantment studies added to your lesson plan. Now, if you're quite done interrupting my work-"

"This is INTOLERABLE" Idula, the dunmer woman teaching the girls exclaimed angrily as she floated up into Neloth's workstation. Her leather armor was smoking and she herself looked like she'd just been through a wind tunnel.

"Oh for the love of, what _now!_?" Neloth shouted back, exasperated that his study time continued to be interrupted. He had work to get done, why couldn't anyone figure things out for themselves!? As if to punctuate his complaints, a middle-aged dunmer man who Neloth recognized as the head of the kitchen staff also levitated up into his workspace, just as irritated and frustrated as Idula.

Neloth's brow furrowed as he realized what had happened even before they were able to explain, "...What did she do now?"

* * *

Kyoko stormed out of Tel Mithryn with a deadly look, a bag of candied ash yams she'd 'liberated' from the kitchen clenched tightly in her white-knuckled grip. Thank Christ there was at least one kind of sweet junk food in this shit-hole of a world. She'd barged into the kitchen and virtually strong-armed the people working there, stealing the bag in broad daylight. It was far less classy than her normal smash-and-grab job and she was probably going to pay for it later, but for the moment she found she could not care less.

Stupid bitch. The teacher was on her shit list for sure. With a small handful of spells under Kyoko and Nagisa's belts, it had been decided that they would now focus on the Illusion school of magic.

And of course, even with Tamrielic magic instead of her own, Kyoko couldn't do it, no matter how hard she tried. And she _had_ tried. There was just a...a block there, for lack of a better term, just like with her old powers.

And in response after a nasty screaming match, her teacher had called her an idiot—and that had been the breaking point. Already frustrated and stressed, Kyoko had only seen red and immediately went for the kill with a few well-placed physical blows...with a few fireballs for effect, of course. In hindsight, part of Kyoko wished she _hadn't _assaulted her teacher, but at the same time? To hell with her. To hell with all of them.

Kyoko jumped up onto the top of a mushroom on the edge of Neloth's fungal forest. Tel Mithryn was still visible in the distance in front of the giant volcano that lined the horizon, but this far away the fungal castle was but a bump surrounded by a sea of smaller mushrooms. It wasn't the Mitakihara skyline, or even Kazamino, but she was taking what small comforts she could get right now.

The redhead sighed in a mix of emotions. What was she even doing here? Selling herself out for science? Letting some asshole old man poke and prod her because if she didn't, he'd go after a goddamn child? What a life she was leading; that of a living guinea pig. At this point she'd take her life before Homura's ascension back—at least then she was free.

She felt adrift; she hadn't seen another human besides Nagisa in over a week. None of the food looked anything like back home. Everywhere she looked was so alien—even the would-be normal average trees were bombed out shells; twisted and ash-blasted. There was no sun, no moon, no stars—just endless smog. Mushrooms instead of buildings. Guar instead of cows or horses. Not a single television or game console in sight. Everything she had been, everything she'd ever known from before a week ago had been stripped from her.

She could leave right now; Raven Rock was a day or two away via guar. She knew a bit of magic now and she was _kind_ of sure she could probably make a run for it. And once in town, she'd go back to simply thieving for food and money, and eventually stow away on a ship to better places. She'd done a bit of reading with Nagisa—the Imperial City sounded nice.

But...Nagisa was still here. She could take Nagisa with her, but somehow she doubted the younger girl was really up to the role of street rat (though why did that seem so oddly familiar?). Mitakihara was one thing; it had been a technological wonder where even the poor had it pretty good. But some shit-hole medieval mudpit? At least right now, she could ensure Nagisa had someplace stable to live, as toxic as it was. She couldn't promise that in Raven Rock.

...Why did she care so much about Nagisa? She hadn't even known the girl before Homura's ascension, and even after that point had only known her as the kid that hung around Mami. She was a fun kid to have around for sure, but…

...No, no. Kyoko knew _exactly_ why she was taking care of Nagisa. She wasn't dumb enough to be able to fool herself about that, as much as she wished she could. God damn it.

Kyoko curled up in a ball, letting the bag of candied yams drop to her side as her hands ran through her hair. The stress and worry and guilt of all of this was finally starting to get to her and she couldn't take it anymore. Living on the street alone was one thing—being thrown into this situation where everything was Other and she had no anchors and was being used was beginning to give her issues.

...She missed home. She missed it so much. Blue skies, green grass, well-lit city nights, arcades, the sound of a hotel air conditioner kicking in, pocky. Apples. God, she missed real fruit.

Real honest-to-god walls and not this fungus bullshit.

Kyoko was so wrapped up in her thoughts she almost didn't notice the roar in the distance. She'd heard it before; often when she was outside there would be something with a thundering call echoing across the island.

But then the roar came again, and it was much closer. Kyoko looked up from her huddled body in the direction of the sound. Out towards the mountains to the north was something flying in the distance, definitely not a bird, but more serpentine and with great bat-like wings.

Another roar. Kyoko's eyes widened when it turned in her direction, almost as if it had just noticed her.

...It was a dragon, and it was now headed right for her. The redhead stood, ready to jump just in case-

"**YOL TOOR SHUL!"**

The booming voice came down on Kyoko as a wave of fire, incinerating the mushroom Kyoko had barely escaped from. She landed on the ground and broke into a sprint as the dragon came around and spoke again. Another torrent of flame burned a second mushroom to ashes as she wheeled around it. The bag of food in her hand melted away.

Well, that _sucked_.

"**FUS RO DAH!"**

Turning back even as she kept moving forward, Kyoko summoned a ward, protecting her from the worst of the kinetic attack, but it still sent her flying into the trunk of another mushroom.

With a thud that shook the forest, the dragon touched down on the ground, towering over Kyoko as a predator would its downed prey. Kyoko got to her knees, summoning fire to her hands as if that was going to do anything to the impressive beast before her, who could fit her entire body within his mouth if he so pleased.

This was it. This was how she was going to die.

The dragon's head approached her, sniffing her as if searching for something.

"**...You reek of Daedric magic. Volaan, why are you here?"**

"I...what?" Kyoko managed to sputter out as she backed up against the mushroom. Who was Volaan?

The dragon replied, **"You are one of the volaanne, intruders. Why have you come to lein, our world?"**

"...I have zero idea what's happening right now" Kyoko admitted blankly. She'd been about to die, hadn't she? She could _still_ die. So why was the big hungry beast trying to start a conversation with her, and what was he blaming her for?

The dragon snorted in contempt, **"You came from another lein, did you not? You have brought with you chaos"**.

Kyoko got a bit indignant at that one, "What the hell did I do?! I've been living in some crazy man's mushroom castle for the past week! I haven't done _shit_!"

"**Events have begun which cannot be undone"** the dragon replied, **"Lah, magic has shifted, your presence has upset roh, the balance"**.

"Well screw you too" Kyoko grunted, "I didn't come here by choice, you know".

"**Perhaps or perhaps not, but you came here all the same. And now, that must be rectified"**. The dragon prepared another attack, and Kyoko instinctively shielded herself with her arms.

"And that will be quite enough of that" said Neloth, approaching with Nagisa and four Telvanni guards in tow.

The dragon regarded the newcomers, **"Tiresome mage. Joorre like you know not what they meddle with"**.

"Aspects of a fallen god, yes?" Neloth replied with his typical dryness, "I'm well aware. They're also under my protection. What I _don't_ understand is why you're on my property".

The dragon took a moment to consider his next move. The girl was one thing, but taking on the resident Telvanni master and a squadron of well-trained Telvanni guards? Those odds were a bit more dicey, and not particularly worth it. The dragon snorted in irritation, **"Mey, fool. Daanii is coming"**. With that the large reptilian flapped his mighty wings and launched himself back into the air before making a turn and flying away back to where he came from.

"...Daanii?" Nagisa asked.

"Roughly translated? Doom" Neloth answered as he watched the dragon slowly disappear in the distance, "Dragons are a melodramatic bunch, especially when their pride has been wounded". He frowned, making a mental note to up the number of guards keeping watch on each shift, then he turned his attention on Kyoko, "Didn't I warn you about wandering Solstheim alone?"

"Not like you actually care" the redhead grumbled back in a somewhat petulant tone, irritated that it was Neloth of all people who had saved her from her own stupidity. Nagisa gave her a look, as if she was wrestling with something.

Neloth rolled his eyes, "Well, if you're quite done with your juvenile antics, I think it's time we return to the tower, don't you? You're late for your session with me, and I don't like to be kept waiting".

Kyoko's fists clenched as her expression darkened once more. Chastised like a child again after proving she was, in fact, _woefully_ ill-prepared to make her planned trip to Raven Rock. And so now it was back to being poked and prodded by a mad wizard, back to enduring humiliation, and back to being berated by some old lady because she couldn't do a certain type of magic because her goddamn family was dead.

As they walked, Nagisa's arm wrapped around hers as the younger girl latched on to her, a concerned expression on her face as she looked up at her. Kyoko gave her a faint reassuring smile, but it didn't last long.

* * *

Homura should have been in bed hours ago. They were going to wake her early for work, she knew that...but with any luck, soon enough she wouldn't be here anymore anyway.

The raven-haired girl looked over another text about skyshards. She knew it was a fool's hope, but what Theodor had said about the meteor shower wouldn't leave her mind. Was it possible Madoka had survived, but landed elsewhere? Could she find her?

Nonsense, Madoka was dead. Getting her hopes up would only hurt her later. And yet, she couldn't help but research and study.

Homura covered her mouth as she released a yawn—and noticed something out of the corner of her eye. There, in the library doorway, she could have sworn she'd seen a flash of pink. In an instant Homura was out in the main hall, again catching a glimpse of pink walking out towards the entrance to the temple.

...It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

Yet she still found herself running out of the main hall and down the entry staircase, having cast her invisibility spell before leaving the library so the scant few guards on patrol at this hour didn't spot her. She continued out into the cave that provided the temple's exit, throwing herself off the ledges instead of bothering with the convoluted path in a nice bit of parkour. Her feet hit the ground and she continued, catching another glimpse of pink at the front of the cave. She pressed herself harder—she HAD to catch up to whoever that was, at the very least so she could prove to herself it wasn't who she hoped it was.

It couldn't be.

Homura exited the cave out onto the base of the mountain, near the village of Karthspire which lay just over the river. For a moment she didn't see anything, panic building that maybe she'd lost the trail, despite the full moons lighting up the night.

But then she saw her—long twin pigtails, a billowing white dress. Homura's breath got caught in her throat as her heart skipped a beat. She tried to call out her name as the figure descended into the valley, but choked on her own voice. Instead Homura chased after her down the road, despite the fact that the figure was moving incredibly fast for a pedestrian.

Over the river, Madoka had gone off the beaten path, past some rocks and trees. Homura followed, and very quickly the chase became far more complicated—but Homura wasn't prepared to give up. Not now. Not now.

"MADOKA!" she called, finally finding her voice, "WAIT!"

But Madoka didn't wait, and for the next several minutes Homura found herself pushing past bushes and climbing over boulders as she struggled to keep up—only managing the barest of glimpses of her other half.

Something in the back of her mind told her this was wrong. This didn't feel right, something was off. Why was Madoka leading her this way? Why wasn't she stopping? Why did she still look like the Law of Cycles? Why was the Law of Cycles on foot? Why was she here at all?

But it didn't matter. Those questions didn't matter. Madoka was here, and she was going to-

Homura entered a clearing surrounded by cliff-face about a story high. The moons' light shone down on the gnarled trees and uneven grass, but she saw no sign of Madoka.

And that's when she saw him. At first Homura had thought the figure a tree, taller than the rest but just as foreboding. But it moved, and she noted that it _did not _look like a tree. The figure was over seven feet tall, with thick leather boots and animal hide clothing covering the bare minimum of his well-endowed body—though the chest was partially covered in deer antler armor, and in his hands were two large spears. But the head...the head was not human in the slightest—fur covered much of his body, but his head was truly animalistic; consisting of some odd yet terrifying cross between a wolf and a deer, with massive antlers jutting out the sides.

"**Greetings"**.

Homura froze. She knew exactly who this was; her studies on the cosmology of this new world had led her to texts about the Daedric Princes, the interloping gods from outside creation.

"...Hircine" she said, tensing up at the thought of standing in front of a potentially hostile being that could crush her like a bug if he so wished. Idly she wondered if this was how those girls she'd slaughtered had felt when facing her, but pushed those thoughts aside.

"**You have done well"** the god of the hunt said, **"Not too many mortals would have been able or willing to follow their prey up here. Though, you're not quite mortal, are you?"**

"Where's Madoka?" Homura said icily, her trepidation replaced by anger when she realized she'd been tricked.

"**Not here, I'm afraid"** Homura deflated, grief beginning to roil within her once more. But Hircine wasn't done, **"However, I can tell you where she is"**.

For the second time tonight, Homura forgot how to breath as her heart did a flip, "...W-what?" Madoka was alive. Madoka was here. He knew where Madoka was. She could find Madoka. Theodor had been right; they'd all come here from the meteor shower, and now she could find Madoka.

"**I know where she is, and I know where she's going. However, I do not give out boons for free. Rewards are earned, not provided"**.

Ah, and there it was. The pitch. "...What do you want from me?" she asked, expecting an attempt on her soul.

"**Relax, young one. All I desire is a test"**.

"A test?"

The god nodded, **"You have already shown me your speed and tracking. Now I wish to test your strength and guile, to see if you are truly worthy of your hunt"**.

The sound of rustling bushes and something stepping on a downed branch behind her caught Homura's attention. She turned around to find a second large creature, apelike with three eyes glaring directly at the teenage girl half its height. Homura's first thought as she instinctively backed up was 'bigfoot' or 'yeti'. It would make sense, considering all the dragons and magic.

"**Defeat this opponent, and I will tell you where your quarry lies"**.

"...I don't have any weapons on me" Homura told the god, continuing to back into the clearing as she tried to give herself some space. She cursed herself; she should have known better than to come out here without something to protect herself.

Hircine didn't seem too broken up about it, **"All the better. Does a wolf use a sword to catch his prey? Does a deer use a wheeled carriage to escape? No, they rely on their innate gifts to survive"**.

With that, the troll roared and charged at Homura, who barely evaded its first swipe by rolling into the grass and over. The troll swung around, slamming its first into the earth where she'd been—had she not leaped into the air and provided a swift kick to the troll's face as her entire body performed a graceful backflip. The impact was enough to stagger the beast back, and Homura landed in a crouch before brushing her hair aside. Hircine said nothing, but watched impassively.

Seeing that she'd landed near a large branch that had fallen off of one of the gnarled trees in the area, Homura got an idea. She grabbed the branch, and then as the troll rushed her vanished into thin air. The troll was confused and hesitated before smashing the ground where its prey had been, only to encounter nothing.

A few seconds later and the troll felt something grabbing the fur on its back, and a moment after that Homura shoved the sharp end of the branch directly into the back of the troll's neck. The beast staggered, swinging wildly in a futile attempt to grab its opponent, but instead Homura simply shoved the makeshift weapon in deeper, twisting as she did until the troll simply became too unstable to use as a platform. She jumped back off and backed away as the dying creature finally keeled over face-first into the grass.

Homura steadied her breath, flipping her hair behind her as she turned to Hircine, "Where is Madoka?"

But the god didn't reply, instead keeping his attention on the downed troll. Homura heard a grunt, and then movement behind her. To her surprise, the troll was getting up as it pulled the branch out of its neck and roared in anger. Blood gushed out of the wound, but quickly tapered away as the flesh healed itself impossibly fast. It then threw the branch away, right where Homura was. The swing sent her flying, and she landed in a heap several dozen feet away.

Homura tried to get up, wincing at a fairly nasty bruise already starting to form along her side. But before she could get back on her feet, the troll grabbed the girl by the leg and lifted her up into the air, before slamming her back into the dirt. Then it did it again. By the third time, Homura was seeing nothing but stars in her vision as the troll sent her battered body ragdolling into a pile of rocks.

Even as she lay there, Homura could feel the troll bounding closer. She ached; her entire body was ablaze with pain and she could barely move.

The vibrations in the earth stopped; the troll was now directly above her and Homura no longer had the physical strength to fight back. Part of her knew this was the end and welcomed it; an end to all of this. Sweet oblivion, at last.

...But she was fighting for Madoka. Madoka was alive, she was here, and Homura had to keep going.

And she still had one last card up her sleeve.

Hoping she was lucky with her aim as her sight was still dizzy, Homura turned over to where she assumed the troll was and let loose with a torrent of fire right in its face. The troll squealed in pain as it stumbled backwards, and Homura took the opportunity to go invisible once more and crawl to safety.

She noted to herself as her senses returned to her that the fire had done more to harm the beast than any of her other attacks; the troll was whimpering as its face burned, desperately trying to put out the flames. That gave her an idea.

Wincing as she stood up, and quickly making sure nothing was broken, Homura ended her invisibility spell and charged up a different spell with both hands. She approached the creature and unleashed another stream of fire, doing her best to coat the monster from head to toe in flames. It screamed and howled in agony, stumbling as it tried in vain to protect itself. Then it swayed, and finally—it fell, first to its knees and then the rest of the body into the dirt.

Homura was panting heavily. Not only did every inch of her body ache, but she also was straight up out of magic; every inch of her reserve was gone. She'd never felt so physically empty, it was as if all her strength had been sapped away. She could barely stand, but she still had one more job to do as even now she could hear the troll gurgling; somehow it still wasn't dead yet.

Grabbing the branch from earlier, Homura dragged herself back over to the troll, tripping slightly along the way. But she made it, and then shoved the branch as hard as she could into the maimed creature's throat. Blood spurted out everywhere as the scorched monster struggled as best it could in its state, but it was over. The troll let out a final gurgling noise and its body fell limp, silent.

Dead.

With the threat dealt with, Homura dropped to her knees, clutching her side in pain before looking over at Hircine. Blood was dripping from above her left eye, and scrapes and bruises dotted her face and hands. Her clothes were torn and muddy, and she looked like she was about to pass out.

"Where...is...Madoka?" Homura asked him, panting with each word, even as she steadied herself by putting one of her hands on the ground.

Hircine stood silently for a moment, then nodded with a small grin on his face, **"Impressive. It's not often I get to see a smaller prey outplay a larger one. Very well, you have earned this: the one you call Madoka Kaname can be found in the village of Frost Creek, deep in the Drajkmyr Marsh, north of Morthal. From here it is a little over a week's journey on foot. I warn you though: she is about to leave, though I am sure a capable hunter such as yourself will be able to pick up her trail once arriving in town. I look forward to your hunt"**.

Homura looked to the north; in the distance she could make out the mountains separating the Reach from the Whiterun plains. Beyond, somewhere, lay Madoka.

"**One last piece of information" **Hircine said, **"A warning: others are hunting you as well. Be on your guard, young wolf, least the predator become the prey"**.

Homura frowned; others? "What about Madoka?" she asked, "Are they after-" she turned to Hircine, only to find no one there. Homura sat, crouched over, alone in the wilderness. It was quiet; only a faint breeze brushed past her.

And then it hit her, finally.

Madoka was alive. She could find her again, see her again. She could see Madoka's smile, hear her laughter. A smile escaped Homura's lips, one that quickly grew into a giggle and then a cackle, and then something snapped within Homura and her laughter became wild and uneven. Every inch of her body shook with a deep and unhinged sense of desperation, joy, and euphoria, and even as she did it, even as she realized it sounded insane, she couldn't stop. She didn't want to stop.

Madoka was alive.

Madoka was alive.

Madoka was _**alive**_**.**

It didn't matter what came next. It didn't matter what she'd do once she'd found Madoka, all that mattered was that Madoka was alive, Madoka had left a trail, and Homura knew how to track her down.

Still giggling like a madwoman as an entire week of indescribable stress and guilt and despair washed off her, she stood on her feet, ignoring her wounds as she rubbed her face with her hands, clearing away the tears now running down her cheek.

Madoka was alive.

Madoka was alive, and she was going to find her.

Homura had been planning on leaving the Blades soon anyway, ever since Theodor had gotten under her skin, but now she saw no need to prolong her stay here; in fact, the longer she waited, the greater the chance Madoka's trail would grow cold.

She would leave tonight.

* * *

Nagisa lay on her bed staring up at the fungal ceiling, deep in thought. This was wrong, this was all wrong.

She hadn't seen Kyoko since returning to Tel Mithryn. The older girl had been taken by Neloth to his tower, and after that, well...Nagisa assumed Kyoko was busy blowing off steam somewhere again. She'd been doing that more and more lately, meaning Nagisa was seeing less and less of her.

Despite her age, Nagisa wasn't stupid; far from it, actually. She knew Kyoko was suffering here, and she was doing it for Nagisa's sake. They needed to leave, even if Nagisa was afraid of doing that. She was safe here; even as alien as Tel Mithryn was, it was the closest thing to home she'd had for the past week, and what little she'd seen of the rest of Solstheim was dangerous and scary.

Where would they even go?

If only they knew where Mami was.

...Would Mami even want to see them? Nagisa turned over in her bed in a fit of anxiety over the possibility of _that_ meeting.

Kyoko finally entered the room looking exhausted and burnt-out. She gave Nagisa a wave and a halfhearted smile before flopping onto her bed below Nagisa's.

Well, now or never, Nagisa supposed.

"I've uh...been studying a new spell" she told Kyoko.

Kyoko inwardly groaned; the last thing she wanted to deal with right now was more magic shit, "Not right now, okay Nagisa?"

Nagisa flipped over the side of the bed and showed the spell tome she'd been working from, "...You might be interested in this one, actually".

With a sigh, Kyoko turned over from staring at the wall and looked at Nagisa's book, "...Longstride" she read out-loud.

Nagisa grinned, "It makes us move faster. We can be in Raven Rock in a matter of hours".

Kyoko sat up, her mind instantly switching gears as she considered the possibilities. In the end however, she shook her head, "It's too dangerous". Even ignoring everything else, that dragon was still out there and had their names on its shit list. She doubted even a spell could outrace the damn thing, going by how fast it had flown up to her.

Nagisa's smile faded before she pulled herself back up. A moment later however, she landed on the floor below, book still in hand before turning to Kyoko dropping herself on the redhead's bed.

"So how long are we staying here?" she asked Kyoko seriousy.

"I..." the redhead's gaze unfocused. It was a question she'd been trying not to think about. How long was long enough? It couldn't be forever. God, no. "...I don't know".

Nagisa considered her next words carefully. She wasn't quite sure how to express this, and more than that she wasn't entirely sure how Kyoko would react, "...I appreciate everything you've done for me over the past few days, I really do. I don't know where I'd be if you weren't here. But it's not doing good things for you".

Kyoko looked at her, "And what else am I supposed to do?"

"...I think you're trying to be Mami for me and again, I appreciate it, but I don't want you to be Mami. I want you to be Kyoko".

The redhead's expressions shifted from shock to irritation at the accusation, to floundering embarrassment, to finally soft laughter as she fell back on her pillow. She wanted to go off on Nagisa for comparing her to the blonde girl, but the truth was Nagisa was dead on, and Kyoko was kind of mortified by that.

"...Crap" she said, letting some of the anxiety and stress she'd been bundling up ebb out of her, "...You're pretty smart for a kid, you know that?"

Nagisa giggled, "I _was_ handpicked by the Law of Cycles". Handpicked, and then betrayed her. She ignored the pang of guilt that surfaced.

Kyoko smiled at that, but then became somber again, "You're the last thing I have from Earth" she admitted quietly, "If I lose you, then..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish that train of thought.

Nagisa grabbed Kyoko's left wrist gently, pleading, "Then we should go find the others, right?"

Kyoko looked up at the bunk above her; when had she become such a coward?

Just be Kyoko, huh? It was something so simple it was laughable. A determined look crossed her face, then a wry grin. If Nagisa was willing to risk it all, then who was she to say no?

"You wanna know how to roll with Kyoko, huh? Then let's roll".

* * *

Homura returned to Sky Haven Temple only long enough to ransack it. While cloaked in her invisibility spell, she changed her torn clothes out for clean ones and then flew through the empty kitchen, taking as much food as she could stuff in her pack. When she was satisfied, she went to the armory to see what she could grab there. Along the way she grabbed a few restoration potions from the temple stockpile, and drank one for magicka recovery.

Initially, she'd intended to take a full armor set; after the past week she knew how to put them on, and a smaller set built for one of the wood elves on staff would have fit her well enough. But upon entering the armory, she was reminded just how gaudy and ceremonial he Blades armor was—it was like some mishmash of Japanese Samurai and Roman Legionary, and if she took the armor she'd be instantly recognizable—her japanese features would be conspicuous enough, she didn't need fancy armor on top of that. Besides, it was heavy plate armor and Homura preferred to be fast and nimble.

Instead, Homura grabbed a nondescript cloak with a hood, a pair of thicker leather boots than she'd been given, and an odd pair of leather gauntlets. If she was going to grab armor, it would have to be from elsewhere. Her choice of weapons were easier; someone had left an old iron short sword when they'd joined the Blades, and in the corner there were a number of hunting bows on a rack and cheap arrows. She grabbed a wood elf one, perfectly her size with a small round shield guard to help protect her arm attached. She tested the weapon—still good.

Her last stop was the library. She grabbed a map of Skyrim, unrolling it on the table and quickly finding the location of 'Morthal'. She then rolled it back up, stuffed it in her pack, and then grabbed a pair of books—one a general primer on magic that she was still going through, and the other a guide on Tamriel.

Taking one last moment once she was in the main hall to go through her mental checklist to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. For the briefest of moments she felt a bit of guilt out of stealing as much as she had from the people who had taken her in, but she squashed those thoughts. She'd warned them that they should have left her in the wilderness, so this was on them. She was an evil being; even so reduced in scope and power, she was so far past morality that it didn't matter what she did. She should never be trusted, and now these fools would pay the price.

After taking one last look at Sky Haven Temple's main hall, the invisible teenager fled the cavern and rushed back out into the night air—free.

What she didn't know however, was that one person had noticed her end her invisibility spell as she ran off into the night. Theodor Gorlash had been on night sentry duty, and he grinned like a madman before following in pursuit.


	5. 1x04: But seriously, were are we headed?

**CHAPTER FOUR: BUT SERIOUSLY, WHERE ARE WE HEADED?**

* * *

The initial plan had been to leave that night; sadly, circumstances required Kyoko and Nagisa to wait another two days while quietly watching guard patrol patterns and mapping out strategies for what Kyoko was dubbing the 'Big Heist'. It wouldn't do to just take a guar and run after all, the two girls needed supplies and they needed to do it in a way that wouldn't immediately tip Neloth off to what they were planning. And so the next two days continued as they had before, with knowledge that this would all be over one way or another within forty-eight hours, which gave Kyoko the willpower to see it through.

It was late when they struck; the two girls waited just outside the village waiting for the nearest guard to come closer. When he finally did arrive, Nagisa set off a small fireball into the air while she lay within a batch of trama root, the tentacle-like plant giving her a place to hide in the darkness. As he came closer to investigate, Kyoko appeared from behind and tackled him, rendering the elf unconscious. Their prize secure, the two girls proceeded to strip him, removing the strange and asymmetrical bug-like plated armor and underlying tattered leather so Kyoko could wear it. As Kyoko got dressed, Nagisa dragged the downed guard's body back over to the root fence, laying him right behind the nearest building—he'd be safe from what was about to happen, but was still isolated so no one would find him until this was all over

"...It's a little too big for me" Kyoko frowned, noting the baggy and misshapen appearance the suit took on with her form as she put it on—the downsides of being short.

"It'll be fine if you stay at a distance. It's dark out" Nagisa replied, handing the redhead the helmet, "Besides, you said yourself you won't need to pretend very long, right?"

Kyoko put the bug-like helmet on before wrapping a dark red scarf around her neck and mouth. Every inch of her body was covered; thin chitin plate armor protected her forearms, lower legs, left shoulder, and chest. The rest of her body was covered in thick but heavily-worn guar leather with a dull red tinge, including the torn skirt that extended from her armor's belt.

"With any luck, anyway" the redhead said, "...Hm. Not sure I like the helmet". She sighed, but there wasn't much she could do about that at the moment, "Okay, you remember the rest of the plan, right?"

Nagisa nodded eagerly as she re-summoned her fire spell. With a grin, Kyoko did the same, and together the two began to set fire to the mushroom forest. Not all at once of course; they didn't want to get caught in the act. Instead they set up several pocket fires over a wide area, each just close enough that they'd merge very soon before backing away and heading to their assigned positions.

Kyoko ran back to Tel Mithryn just as the blaze began to burn out of control, "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" she shouted in what she hoped was a mixture of panic and authority. Thankfully, the fire outside was more than enough to speak for her, and very soon virtually every guard was making a beeline for the location of the 'attack'-including, thankfully, the armory guards.

Nagisa had sneaked back into her and Kyoko's quarters to grab their existing supplies. Kyoko had already been spending the past week nicking food from the kitchen without arousing suspicion, and over the last two days had upped her ante, meaning they had one less thing to worry about now. Nagisa grabbed the pack of supplies they'd already prepared and headed for the guar pen.

Kyoko meanwhile, was ransacking the unprotected armory. She knew she had to be fast; any minute the guards outside would recognize the burning forest as an act of sabotage and not an attack by bandits or the dragon. Scanning the room, she quickly picked out a handful of javelins for herself which she strapped to her back, as well as a dagger just in case. For Nagisa, she hesitated. From what little she'd remembered of Nagisa's magical girl powers from the battle with Homura's witch, Nagisa had had a trumpet or something, right? What would be a good alternative? WAS there a good alternative? Grunting in frustration, Kyoko settled on both a short sword and a small crossbow before making her escape.

By the time Kyoko got out to the guar pen, Nagisa was fully bundled up and was already setting up the next phase of the plan. She'd opened the gate and was in the process of untying each guar.

"How do we get them to run?" Nagisa asked her as she approached, "I looked up some illusion spells for causing fear or panic, but they were all a bit too advanced for me".

Kyoko considered this for a moment, then realized the pens were made of wood, "...Well, when all you have is a hammer" she snapped her fingers, causing the air to ignite in her palm as if to give an explanation.

Nagisa paused, "...Do you know how to ride a guar?"

The redhead let the fire in her hand extinguish and looked over at what she could still only see as fat pig-dinosaurs, "...Sure, how hard can it be?" she said, before handing the younger girl the weapons she'd chosen for her. Nagisa slung the arrows and crossbow over her shoulder and attached her new sword to her belt before handing the supply pack over to Kyoko.

Thankfully, one of the guar still had a saddle attached—something that Kyoko had been _very_ worried about figuring out on the spot, even if she hadn't told Nagisa. The redhead slung the supplies over said saddle, "Ready?"

Nagisa had finished freeing the guar and nodded back as she approached, "Ready".

Kyoko put her hand on Nagisa's shoulder as if to reassure them both, before helping Nagisa onto the creature. Making sure the younger girl was secure, Kyoko then hopped on herself and took the reigns. She gave them a snap, and to her relief the guar began to move as per her directions.

"Okay" Kyoko said, maneuvering the creature close to the nearest pens, "Let'er rip!"

Both girls summoned fire into existence as Kyoko moved the guar forward, and very soon the entire guar pen ignited into open flame. Their own guar got spooked, which Kyoko took as a sign that that was enough. She pushed forward, ordering the creature (or at least, she hoped she was ordering) to charge. It didn't need much push in that regard, merely a direction, and its panic began to fuel the panic of the guar around it. The resulting chaotic domino effect resulted in the stampede out the gate that the girls had hoped for.

"LET'S FUCKING GO!" Kyoko shouted with glee as they charged out the gate behind the herd. Nagisa laughed in excitement, holding onto Kyoko's waist as tightly as she could as they breached Tel Mithryn's limits when their guar jumped over the knotted root fence and they vanished into the night. As they left, they could see some of the guards returning, trying in vain to catch some of the other escaping guar. Kyoko laughed; served those assholes right. She imagined the look on Neloth's face when he found out what had happened—her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to be there when it happened.

"Holy crap, I can't believe that actually worked!" Kyoko laughed in disbelief. She turned back to Nagisa as the two gave each other an awkwardly placed high-five, "Good work, you! How are you holding up?" Nagisa just giggled in response, hugging Kyoko tighter. The older girl smiled at that, "Okay, we're out of town and headed east. Do your thing!"

Nagisa nodded wordlessly and cast longstride. Immediately, the guar began to run even faster—twice as fast, in fact. Wind blasted past the two girls, but as they were completely covered up the cold ash-ridden air did little to damper their spirits. They were _free_.

* * *

Sitting in his chair, Neloth took a sip from his tea even as his eyes never left the page of the tome he was reading from. He was in his workshop, safely sequestered away so that he could almost forget that half the forest outside was in cinders and his pack of guar had scattered to the winds—it would take hours for his guards to scout out the area and bring them all back. Sigh.

He'd known the girls had been planning to leave of course, they hadn't been as subtle as they thought they'd been. That was why he'd had the guard captain disable the armory's magical defenses earlier in the evening in the first place. What he hadn't expected was the wholesale destruction the two girls had inflicted on his little settlement, which was..._really _annoying. Even more annoying was that it had made him look like a fool to his servants who were already surprised he'd just let the girls go.

That's what he got for being nice, he supposed.

"Should have just fed them to the ash hoppers from the start" he mused to himself acidly, turning the page in his book. He paused—ah, visitors, "You can stop skulking around" Neloth said, looking behind him.

On cue, a ghostly apparition formed out of thin air. The figure was a high elf, middle aged and male. He was covered head to toe in a fine ornate golden robe and hood with red accents and glyphs.

"Oh joy" Neloth said with poorly-feigned enthusiasm, slumping back in his chair with his back to the apparition, "A visit from the Psijic Order. Whatever will I do with myself?"

"...You let them go" the high elf said. Not a judgment, simply an observation—one that left the elf slightly perplexed.

"They were of little use to me. Their soul gems were certainly wonders, but the only way to experiment on them properly would have been to take them apart and see how they worked, thus invalidating them altogether" Neloth said, "Besides, they clearly hated it here. Only an idiot keeps hostile elements in their employ". They hadn't wanted to be here; of course he'd let them go. If Neloth had been able to, he'd have left this ashpit of an island decades ago himself.

"We _had_ hoped they would still be in your care when I arrived".

To this Neloth snorted, then closed his book and stood up, "So I do all the hard work and then you sweep in from out of nowhere at the last second so you can play hero. Typical Psijic Order".

"That's not exactly fair" the high elf replied.

"Neither is hiding yourself away in a pocket plane while Nirn burns" Neloth said curtly.

The high elf grumbled, "I didn't come here to trade barbs with you, Neloth. Do you know which way they went or not?"

"And what would the Psijic Order want with a couple of aspects from a fallen god masquerading as children?" asked Neloth. The old wizard stroked his beard as he moved around the apparition of the Psijic.

The high elf's expression became grave, "Don't be coy. You saw the meteor shower, and I'm sure you've felt the magic of Nirn shifting. I need to find those two and reunite them with the rest of their group. If I don't, the fate of the entire Aurbis could be at stake".

Neloth gave his visitor a side-eye, "It's always doomsday threats with you people, isn't it? It's never a mundane political problem, it always has to be something that will literally unravel the cosmos". Honestly, this was another reason the mage lord hadn't been too broken up about Kyoko and Nagisa—Neloth knew they were _Important_ and that eventually he'd have to get rid of them unless he wanted Tel Mithryn to become _Important_ too. The dragon attack had been his canary in the nirncrux mine.

"The Order doesn't usually get involved with politics" the Psijic reminded him.

"Clearly" Neloth replied tersely, then sighed as he turned his back to the other elf, "The girls are likely headed west to Raven Rock so they can find a ship off this island. Beyond that, I haven't a clue nor do I particularly care".

"Hmm" the Psijic grunted in irritation, "Very well. A pleasure as always, Neloth".

"I'd hurry if I were you; a dragon has their scent and is likely waiting for them out in the wilds" Neloth added. With another agitated sigh, the Psijic's illusion finally vanished, leaving Neloth in blissful isolation.

"And good riddance" the old wizard said. Now he could finally get back to work.

* * *

Madoka lifted the bow in her hands, stretching the string out so she could get a feel for it. It was definitely harder to draw than her old bow, which had felt more like an extension of herself, especially when she'd been a goddess. It would take some time to get used to this real, wooden one, but her skill still came naturally as she expertly launched an arrow right into the center of the makeshift target hanging from the tree behind Wulf's house.

"Are you sure about this?" Madoka asked Wulf as she went to retrieve the arrow, "I don't feel right just taking your stuff".

Wulf waved her off, "It's fine. These are all just extra military surplus items I kept from back in the day. We used to hand these out to new recruits. Now then" he pulled out another weapon, a crossbow, from the chest that was resting along the back wall of his house, which he handed to Mami, "Give that a try".

Mami looked over the device in curiosity before Wulf began to advise her on how it worked. She put an arrow in, cranked it up, and after aiming it like a musket fired a perfect shot at the target. The blonde gave a satisfied smile, but that faded a bit as she became a bit puzzled, "...How did you know this would be better for me than a bow?"

Wulf laughed at that, "Enough time in the army and you soon get to tell who's an archer, who's a marksman, and who's neither".

"So..." Madoka said, changing the subject as she stared out towards the distant snow-capped mountains beyond the swamp, "Tomorrow, huh?"

The old man nodded, more serious now, "The longer you wait, the worse the weather is going to get. Summer ends tomorrow. This far north the snows will be starting any day now, and you've got a long trip to Dawnstar".

Madoka's gaze drifted to the ground, "...I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us" she said, turning back to Wulf.

"Agreed" said Mami, "You didn't have to do any of this".

"Ah, I'm an old man who lives alone in a swamp" Wulf grinned as he sat down with a groan, "I get bored. You're quite welcome though".

"There must be _something_ we can do to repay you" Mami insisted.

Wulf seemed to consider it for a moment, "What I want most of all? A good story. The next time we see each other, I want you to tell me the adventures you've had. Make me feel young again".

"...You think we'll see each other again?" Madoka asked hopefully.

Wulf chuckled, "Tamriel is smaller than we like to think. No, I don't believe this will be the last time we see one another" he glanced up at the fading daylight, "However, it is the end for today. You had best get back and rest up for tomorrow".

Together the two girls picked up their new gear: an old imperial bow for Madoka, a small Dawnguard crossbow for Mami, and two pairs of old imperial short swords-one for each of them, and two for Sayaka should she awaken. Wulf had also provided them with traveling boots and wrist guards, as well as a supply of hunting arrows, of course.

When they were ready to go, Wulf stood back up to see them off, leading them around to the front of his house. Mami bowed slightly before heading off, but Madoka stuck around for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Then, she decided. The pinkette gave Wulf a hug, surprising the old man, but he took it in kind.

"Thank you" Madoka said again with as much earnestness as possible while Mami waited.

"Be safe" Wulf replied warmly as the two let go, "I expect great things from both of you". Madoka waved at him with a faint blush on her cheeks as she caught up with Mami. The two were silent for a moment as they walked towards town.

"...Once we get to the College" Mami began, "What _is_ our plan?"

Madoka exhaled as she let her smile go, "...We need to see if they can wake up Sayaka and find the rest of our friends".

"And then?"

"...I want to find out more about the meteor shower" Madoka said, "And my dreams".

Mami looked at her for confirmation, "...You think more of us arrived here".

"I hope more of us have, yeah". Madoka rubbed her elbow. She had to believe. She _had_ to or...or she was going to go insane. There just wasn't any other option for her. The blood on her hands. Trillions upon trillions of...no. No, not right now. She wasn't going to do this right now. Steady breathing.

Mami put a reassuring hand on Madoka's shoulder as they continued to walk, having noticed the other girl was tensing up, "It'll be okay".

Madoka looked over at her with a forlorn expression, "...Will it?" To that, there wasn't much Mami could say. It was never a good sign when the former concept of hope was doubting.

The rest of the trip back was in silence.

* * *

The return to Bren and Aia's house was quiet and understated. The older couple knew the girls were leaving soon of course; Madoka and Mami had filled them in two days prior, and even before then their increasing visits to Wulf had tipped them off. They'd been skeptical; going to Winterhold alone? At this time of year? But Madoka and Mami couldn't be dissuaded, and ultimately Aia and Bren found they couldn't disagree with the girls' motives.

"So tomorrow's the big day" Aia said over dinner.

Mami nodded, "We'll be leaving early in the morning. We want to make good time before the weather turns".

"We'll miss having you around" Bren said after swallowing a bite of bread, "You girls were quite the help around the store".

"We were happy to be here" Mami said, "Thank you for taking us in". Truth be told, Mami _was_ going to miss this place. Living with other people, working together...Bren and Aia weren't surrogates for her parents by any means, but it had still been something she'd guiltily indulged in.

"We hope we weren't too much of a bother" Madoka added.

"Nonsense" Aia replied, "Like Bren said, we loved having you. We wish you could have stayed longer. Oh! Speaking of, before I forget" she got up from her seat and grabbed a bag that had been stashed in the corner, "We got something for your trip". She brought the bag back over to the table and pulled out two thick grey fur cloaks—one for each girl, "You'll be needing these, especially if you're headed up to Winterhold. There's another in the bag for Sayaka".

"...They're beautiful" Madoka muttered.

"...We can't possibly take these" Mami said with embarrassment as she looked the over-the-top gift over in her hands.

"Orryn down the street caught a pack of stray wolves trying to get at his chickens a few nights ago" Aia explained, "He asked if I wanted the pelts. I told him you were leaving soon, and he obliged. Also, you're taking them and that's final; I won't have a bunch of kids dying from frostbite out on the tundra".

Madoka let out a soft laugh-Aia reminded her a little bit of her mom, tender yet tough as nails, and Madoka knew better than to cross her. She hugged her new cloak tightly—it was soft, and very comfortable, "...Thank you. I don't know what to say".

"Just be safe" Aia replied. The girls nodded in affirmation.

* * *

Homura awoke with the sun, as she did every morning anymore. She'd only gotten about four hours of sleep, but that was enough for her—she had to catch up to Madoka.

Right now she found herself under a rocky outcropping on the border between the Reach Kingdom and the Kingdom of Whiterun, right on the crest of the Sungard mountain range separating the dreary canyonlands to her south and west from the wide-open vista of the Whiterun plains. Sunlight filtered in from the east, lighting up the amber grass that contrasted with the blue sky and white mountains in the background, and gave Homura her first glimpse of central Skyrim.

...And she had to admit, the region she was stepping into was far easier on the eyes than the murky, rainy badlands she'd been trapped in since arriving on Nirn.

She'd been kind of surprised there had been no-one at the border between the two kingdoms to hold her up. Then again, she'd avoided the main roads of travel that would have required her to go too far north or east before doubling back, adding more days to her journey, and she supposed that pre-industrial countries would have had a harder time policing every inch of their territory. It wasn't like one little girl was an invading army, after all. Of particular relief was the fact that she'd somehow escaped the notice of the Forsworn, the paramilitary militia defense of the Reach. Bandits were one thing, but the thought of facing Daedra-worshiping wildmen wielding ancient dark magic made even her give pause.

Still, she hoped her luck would continue. Homura opened her map and spread it over the flat rock she'd slept next to, though she'd studied it enough by this point to have memorized it. Right now she was going to follow the Whiterun-Reach border up until she hit the Kingdom of Haafingar that covered the majority of Skyrim's northern coast from Solitude to Whiterun. To the far east lay Skyrim's final major political player—the Kingdom of Eastmarch that stretched from Winterhold in the north to Riften in the south.

"Well well well" said a scratchy, gravely voice, "What's a pretty little girl like you doing out here all alone? Don't you know being out on your own is dangerous?" Homura looked up from her map at the three new arrivals. In the front was a lizard person (an argonian, Homura reminded herself), and he was flanked by two nords, a male and female both looking to be in their mid-thirties. They were mildly armed and armored, but in no particular uniformity, cluing Homura in to the fact that they definitely weren't soldiers, or even organized members of a guild like the Blades.

...Probably bandits, considering their aggressive posturing.

Homura rolled up her map and stuffed it back into her pack, "I'm busy. What do you want?" she asked plainly, already preparing for the upcoming fight as she ran through possible attack strategies in her head, though she had yet to draw a weapon.

The three bandits began to surround Homura, sizing the teenager up. The leader spoke, "Oh, we're just friendly passers-by, willing to help out strangers in need for a...small fee". The other two chuckled at that as they grinned at Homura hungrily. Presumably they saw her as an easy mark.

"Is that so?" Homura asked him, feigning interest like a parent would a child's fantasy, "And that fee would be…?"

"Why, however you can afford to pay, of course" the argonian said, the implications left clear. They were going to take what they wanted, as much as they wanted.

"I'm afraid I won't be requiring your services" Homura replied, "Good day to you".

The argonian frowned, "That's...not how this works, little girl. Your pack and your weapons, now, or we kill you and leave your corpse for the Forsworn".

Homura finally turned to the lizard man, "...Is that leather armor?" she asked him, motioning to what he was wearing as she remained infuriatingly calm and civil.

"I..." the bandit was taken off-balance by the sudden shift in conversation and the lack of groveling, "...Yes. What does that have to do with anything?"

Homura only gave the barest of smiles as her eyes vanished from view under her bangs.

* * *

It was barely dawn the next morning when Mami and Madoka left. Aia presented them first with a small bag of coins; 'payment for their work' as Bren put it, and inside was enough for a night or two at an inn and to book passage on a ship. She then gave them a sack full of food, supplies, and a handful of restoration potions for their trip—and neither girl was foolish enough to reject that. She gave both of them hugs before sending them off; her and Bren waving as they left town.

Mami had elected to carry the supplies while Madoka pulled the small 'wagon' (really just an oversized wheelbarrow) holding Sayaka's slumbering body. They'd covered her with a blanket and her cloak, both to make it look just a little less suspicious and to protect her from the elements.

And just like that, the trio left town and were now headed south to Morthal, from which they would take the main road east to Dawnstar.

"...Madoka" Mami said with more seriousness than Madoka had expected. She'd been in thought.

"Hm?" Madoka asked.

Mami was quiet for a moment, considering how to phrase this as delicately as possible. She didn't want a fight, but she _needed_ to understand Madoka's opinions and goals before anything happened. Finally, she just blurted it out, "...What will you do about Homura?"

Madoka was initially surprised at the question; it had come out of the blue after all. But she'd also been thinking about this over the past few days, and her expression shifted to serious and contemplative as she studied the dirt road they were walking on.

"I..." she sighed, preparing herself for a difficult debate, "She's my friend".

"She wiped our memories and took away our free will" Mami retorted.

"I know" Madoka said regretfully.

"She imprisoned you".

"I _know"._

"She hurt Sayaka-"

"I _**KNOW**_" Madoka replied angrily, far more loudly than she'd intended. Mami stepped back, taken by surprise at Madoka's outburst and suddenly very self-conscious for having pushed her into it. The pinkette steadied herself, brushing her hand through her hair as she tried to make sense of everything, "I know. She's done terrible, awful things. But she's still Homura. I can't just..." Madoka couldn't even finish that sentence, "All she ever wanted...she just...she wanted all of us to finally have a happy life. I don't agree with what she did, especially after what happened, but I _can_ understand why".

"She wanted _you_ to have a happy life" Mami said, "On her terms. The rest of us were just collateral".

"That's not true-"

Mami cut her off tersely, "She nearly erased me from existence for speaking out. I'd say it is". Mami shuttered as she recalled Homura's would-be final words to her: she'd find Madoka better friends. The blonde had been so uncomfortably close to ceasing to exist. Not just dying; ceasing to be.

Madoka didn't reply. She simply kept her gaze on the dirt path before them, a conflicted expression on her face.

"We need to know how we're going to deal with her if or when see her again" Mami added after a moment of silence.

"…'Deal with her'?" Madoka asked in uncharacteristic irritation, shooting Mami a look of disappointment, "She's not just some problem to get rid of!"

"She betrayed our trust and took advantage of us. She doesn't deserve a second chance to-"

This time, Madoka cut Mami off as she stopped walking and turned on the other girl, "You have _no idea_ what she's gone through. She's suffered more than almost anyone" she exclaimed in sorrow, "You don't remember our original universe, or how she sacrificed herself and spent _years, _alone, trying to save us, over and over. If it weren't for her, we'd all be dead right now" she subconsciously reached for her soul gem ring as she repressed a few memories, "...or worse".

Mami was shocked into silence. She'd never seen Madoka like this before—she'd always been so unsure of herself. Quiet and cheerful, and never so direct. Then again as Mami had to remind herself, those versions of Madoka hadn't been entirely whole, had they? They'd been missing memories. Context.

Madoka let out a shaky breath and brushed away any tears that were forming, "...She's my..." she struggled for the right words, "...my _very_ best friend, and I won't abandon her. Not ever".

Mami glanced at Sayaka's sleeping form, "...Even if your other friends don't feel the same way?"

Madoka's eyes followed Mami's, and she sighed with remorse and regret but said nothing, her conflicted emotions doing battle within her.

"I don't say this to be cruel" Mami told her, "But whoever she was before, Homura Akemi is now a threat, and I cannot in good conscience allow her near you".

Madoka looked back at Mami, hurt in her eyes with a tinge of betrayal, "...So telling me what's good for me is fine, as long as you're the one doing it?" she asked quietly with sadness, before gripping the wagon's handles and resuming her walk. Then again, maybe she deserved it. Maybe she didn't have the right to make choices, after what she'd done.

Immediately Mami felt guilty. She hurried up to rejoin Madoka's side, "...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just don't want you to get hurt".

"She could never hurt me" Madoka said quietly, "It would be against everything she is".

* * *

"N-no, please, stop! I'm sorry!" the argonian pleaded as he frantically scrambled away from the teenage girl even as she casually strolled forward, his sword in her hand. His comrades were dead; the nord male was laying across the flat rock after having bled out, while his arm was several feet away. The female had fared worse; she'd died screaming in agony as fire engulfed her. Her charred and still smoldering corpse lay in a crumpled heap.

The argonian was already sporting several wounds himself; his leg was limp and bleeding, and he had a nasty gash along his side.

"I'll...I'll give you anything! Anything you want! Everything I have! Just...just let me go..."

Homura paused at that as the argonian backed up against a rockface.

"...Today could have been avoided" she said contemplatively as she looked over his largely unimpressive rusty iron sword, "You could have stayed home, or chosen a different career. But it's never enough for you, is it? You always have to have more. You always have to consume and make things worse for everyone else, regardless of how well her system worked for you".

"I...what?" the argonian asked in panicked confusion at the girl's unintended slip, "I don't understand".

"Of course you don't" Homura said without emotion, once again approaching him. She kneeled down over the frightened bandit, "You never understand what you do. You don't _want_ to understand, because you're just a parasite. It's your inherent nature". She leaned in close, gently caressing the argonian's face, before she jammed his sword into his neck with clinical precision. No anger, no rage, simply cold and calculating. She watched him drown in his own blood for a moment, until the last embers of life finally left his now-still form.

Confirming he was dead with his lack of a pulse, Homura than began to help herself to his armor. He was bigger than her and built somewhat differently than a human, so she knew it wouldn't be a good fit, but she was hoping to jury-rig enough of the material to make it work for her.

That's when she heard the slow clapping coming from behind.

"Bravo! Encore!" Theodor said laughing, before letting out a whistle. He sat atop the rocky outcropping Homura had slept under, straddling it like a horse, and was clearly enjoying the moment, "The emotion, the setting, the gravitas! The staging! Like a perfect scene from a play". He wasn't wearing his Blade armor, which was a slight surprise—instead he seemed to have gone with a mage's robe, emerald and brown in color, though he'd kept his gauntlets and boots, as well as his sword.

"...You" Homura muttered, irritation crossing her face.

"Me" Theodor replied with a wide grin.

Homura dropped what she was doing and stood up to face the man, very cross that she'd not been as stealthy leaving as she'd thought—and that someone had followed her this long without her knowing, "What do you want? Why are you here?"

The smile never left Theodor's face, "You left without saying good-bye! Do you have any idea how rude that is?"

"I was hoping to leave without anyone noticing" Homura said, "Clearly I did not succeed".

Theodor laughed, "Hah! Clearly! It's all good now though, because Uncle Theodor managed to catch up with you all the same!" he leaned forward, "And I'm here to make everything better".

Something about the man creeped Homura out. The way he moved, his disposition, the way he talked, he seemed...off. Like he wasn't all there upstairs.

"I'll tell you what I told these fools" she pointed at the dead bodies that surrounded her, "I'm not interested. Go home".

Theodor dropped down from his perch to the ground, "Aw, is that any way to treat a guest? Especially when I brought a gift?"

"...A gift?" Homura asked, suspicious.

A small sack of gold landed at Homura's feet. Theodor explained, "I'm all for wearin' the clothes of a dead man as much as the next person, but I can tell you're not thrilled at the prospect, so why not pick up some gear at the next town? You can restock on food while you're at it. Maybe pick up some cheese! Everyone likes cheese. Most people, anyway" he paused, thinking, "...You like cheese, right?"

Homura looked down at the sack of gold, not having moved from her spot, "...And what do you want in return?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Theodor asked, extending his arms as he walked closer, even as Homura stepped back out of caution, "I want to come with! I'm always up for an adventure! Why in my day I traipsed all over the countryside! Plunderin' tombs, savin' villagers, pettin' cats" he frowned, "...throwin' cats" he waved it off, "Ah, whatever. Once I even saved a city...or was that a different guy? Might have been a different guy".

"I work alone" Homura said before she turned back on the downed body she'd been working to peel the leather armor from. As much as she wasn't looking forward to using someone else's clothes which wouldn't even fit right, she still considered it a better choice than having some crazy man tag along.

...At least, she considered it a better choice until she got a good whiff of the argonian's natural smell after pulling off some of the armor. It was vile; he clearly hadn't bathed in months, and the scent was overpowering. She gagged and nearly vomited right there. Theodor simply stood where he was, still smiling.

"Having second thoughts?" he asked innocently, "I mean let's be honest, I'll be following you anyway".

"I could just kill you, you know" she told him, still looking at the argonian, but now standing a couple feet away as she tried in vain to get rid of the smell in her nostrils.

Theodor laughed the hardest she'd heard so far, in a way that made Homura somehow doubt her own threat as the faintest of chills went up her spine, "But seriously, where _are _we headed?" he asked as he reached down and grabbed the sack of gold, before tossing it into Homura's hands. Homura glanced back over at the body, then at Theodor, and then finally at the gold in her hands before closing her eyes with a sigh. She could _feel_ the migraine coming. Still, she knew she could find uses for a meatshield, beyond just using him as as a cover for why a fourteen year old girl was wandering Skyrim alone. Besides, he was clearly going to be following her anyway, she might as well have him somewhere she could watch him.

"...Fine. If you want to accompany me, I won't stop you" she said finally, already regretting this, "But I won't wait or slow down for you. I _will_ leave you behind without a second thought".

"Splendid!" Theodor replied, taking a few steps toward the Whiterun plains while stretching.

Homura glared at him, "And if you get in my way or attempt to slow me down, I _will_ kill you".

To that, Theodor only grinned.


	6. 1x05: Don't ever apologize

**CHAPTER FIVE: DON'T EVER APOLOGIZE**

* * *

It was midday. At least, they _assumed_ it was midday, the gray dreary sky was finally starting to lighten up and the two girls could again see the ugly, destroyed landscape that was Solstheim without the help of the two lanterns their guar was carrying.

...Not that they really wanted to, mind you.

"...Are we there yet?" Nagisa whined as their guar made its casual stroll through the dense corpse of a forest; shattered evergreen tree trunks covered the landscape, nearly flash-frozen by ash. There were less mushrooms here, yet the other odd Morrowind plants remained, giving the ground cover a truly alien feel.

Kyoko grumbled, irritated with herself. They'd gone west, right? Raven Rock was to the west. They should have reached town by dawn, so...where was the town? "...I don't know" she mumbled at last, admitting they were lost. It didn't help that the sky was perpetually gray and formless so she had no idea which way the sun was moving. She yawned; the lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her and she was becoming increasingly cross.

"I thought you were good at this tracking stuff" Nagisa said.

"...I was _homeless_, not raised by wolves thank-you-very-much" Kyoko said flatly, "...Wait, are you going through our food again!?" she exclaimed when she heard rummaging sounds going on behind her.

"I'm hungry!" the younger girl pouted as she dug through the bag.

Kyoko rolled her eyes, "Yeah? So am I, but we're who-knows-where and I don't want to-" she froze as Nagisa pulled out a small jar of scrib jelly and then with a disgusted look tossed it aside; "You did NOT just throw food away" she exclaimed, surprise giving way to anger.

"What?!" Nagisa replied, "It's scrib jelly. It's gross".

Kyoko stopped the guar dead as she glared back at Nagisa, "Don't. Waste. Food".

"You don't even like scrib jelly!"

"I took what I could from the kitchen when I could!" Kyoko replied, "You don't always get to pick and choose what you get to eat. Now go get it and put it back in the bag before I beat your ass". It was true; she didn't like _most_ of the food here. Granted, she didn't really like much of anything on this godforsaken island. The sooner they were away from here, the better. Just imagine: places populated by actual humans. Bright sun and blue skies. Buildings that weren't fungus. Normal goddamn food.

It was enough to make Kyoko's heart flutter.

...She would kill for a burger right now. Like, straight up murder. That wasn't even a joke.

With a pout and an irritated eye-roll, Nagisa climbed off the guar and headed over to where the jar lay in a pile of ash, "...Mami wouldn't have made me eat scrib jelly..." she muttered, just under her breath.

Clearly not under her breath enough however, as Kyoko gave her an expression of disbelief, "Now I KNOW that is a load of bullshit. If Mami were here, she'd have you eat that scrib jelly and make you enjoy it. Feel lucky that I'm only going to make you do the first part".

Nagisa grumbled petulantly, "Fine, fine".

Kyoko resisted her own eye roll, "And hurry it up, would you? We're burning daylight. Get back on the goddamn velociraptor...frog...cow...thing so we can go".

Nagisa picked up the jar and began heading back to the guar, "It's closer to a utahraptor, actually".

Kyoko blinked in surprise, "Wait, what?"

"Velociraptors were turkey-sized, while utahraptors were much bigger. Of course, raptors also had feathers, so..." Nagisa trailed off. When Kyoko's perplexed expression continued, Nagisa sighed and explained with a mumble as a blush creeped over her features, "...You learn a lot of stuff reading magazines in the hospital waiting room".

Oh, well now Kyoko felt a little bit dickish, "Oh...sorry. Guess I just didn't expect-" both of them froze as a roar in the distance punctuated the otherwise eerie silence.

"...You heard that, right?" Nagisa asked, clutching the jar of jelly tighter.

Kyoko looked around, "I _felt_ that".

Another roar; this one closer. Kyoko's eyes widened in trepidation, "Nagisa, get on. Longstride. NOW".

Wordlessly Nagisa dropped the jar in the sack and jumped onto the guar before summoning a burst of magic to her fingertips.

A shadow passed overhead. Nagisa looked up, only to see _something_ flying just out of sight thanks to the dead trees surrounding them.

"GO, GO, GO!" Kyoko shouted to the fat animal as she snapped the reigns. The guar began to charge, fueled by the longstride spell as they (hopefully) continued west.

"How well do you think this thing can outrace a dragon?" Nagisa asked the redhead.

A monumental crashing sound came from behind them as the threat in question began to barrel its way through the ruined forest, knocking aside and splintering tree trunks as if they were cardboard. It was pissed and it was headed straight for them.

"NOT WELL!" Kyoko shouted in alarm.

"**YOR TUL SHOOL!"**

"KYOKO!" Nagisa gripped the redhead's abdomen as the guar rushed forwards, barely evading the stream of fire emerging from the silver-scaled dragon's maw as it flew past them just overhead.

"Nagisa, stick to the plan!" Kyoko demanded. When Nagisa didn't respond, Kyoko repeated, "NAGISA! Head in the game! I drive, you shoot!"

"R-right!" the younger girl replied, summoning another spell as the dragon swung back around. A bolt of electricity shot out of her hand, impacting harmlessly off the dragon's hide as it came in for another attack.

"Nagisa!" Kyoko shouted, preparing for another evasion. Up ahead was a rocky outcropping next to the trail, and then a thick grove of dead trees. If they could just get some cover…

"**VEN GAAR NOS!"**

A whirlwind of ash and smoke came flying at the girls, ready to sweep their guar off the ground just as it was the dead trees it was uprooting, until it met Nagisa's ward spell. The air bounced harmlessly off, but it didn't do anything for the large tree trunks as they sped like missiles towards them, crashing into the dusty ground all around the girls as they fled.

"NAGISA!" Kyoko shouted as she desperately evaded one tree trunk after another on the uneven terrain.

"I'M TRYING!" Nagisa shouted back. So much dust was being kicked up into the air that it was becoming impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her—made all the more alarming by all the incredibly unnerving crashing noises as each tree impacted the ground, each booming like an artillery shell as they cracked and splintered on contact. One thundered down right in front of them, turning over and down on top of the two girls.

"DUCK!" Kyoko shouted again, as they rode under the trunk as it fell over, smashing right into where they had just been. The dragon roared again, once again flying overhead before coming around for another pass. "I HATE THIS FUCKING ISLAND!"

The guar charged out of the ash-filled air back into a clearer section of the forest, but the dragon was already upon them.

Nagisa was ready. As the dragon unleashed another pillar of crimson fire from its mouth, the white-haired girl put up her strongest ward yet, allowing the flames to spill off the barrier harmlessly. Then as the dragon again flew over them, with her other hand Nagisa allowed a fully-charged barrage of electrical energy to slam into the dragon's underbelly. This one was enough to make the dragon flinch, and it roared angrily as it veered off.

"Good job!" Kyoko told Nagisa, "Keep it up!"

Nagisa was panting, "Out of magic. I need a minute".

Kyoko nodded, "Grab a potion out of the bag. I got this". The redhead pulled one of the javelins she'd taken from the armory out of the quiver on her back, ignited it with a flame spell, and then waited as the dragon crashed through more trees, trying to find a good position for another bombing run. It burst through another copse into the clearing the guar was running through, this time coming directly at the girls from the front. It let loose an ugly ear-piercing roar when it opened its jaws, ready to tear and chew.

"COME AND GET SOME, ASSHOLE!" Kyoko screamed right back, hoisting her weapon in her left hand as she kept hold of the guar's reigns in her right. With a herculean throw, she sent the javelin weapon soaring through the air, jamming it into the dragon right between the jaw and neck with a force of impact less like a hand throw and more like a mounted crossbow. The dragon screamed in a mixture of surprise and pain as it immediately veered off unevenly, blood spurting out everywhere as the javelin jiggled about. Fire danced around the wound, further enraging the beast.

"Yeah!" Kyoko shouted triumphantly with a fist pump, "How do you like them apples?!"

"Uh...he's coming back around!" Nagisa said with worry, looking up after finding the magic potion she'd been looking for.

"Ward, NOW!"

"Uh-" Nagisa began to chug the contents of the potion as fast as she could, but upon seeing this Kyoko knew there wasn't time.

"**FUS RO DAH!"**

Kyoko yanked on the reigns HARD. The guar just barely avoided the dragon's attack as Kyoko readied a second javelin, coating it in the same flame spell as the last.

"**YOR TUL SHOOL!"**

The dragon unleashed another stream of burning wrath. By now however, Nagisa was back in the game and again managed to deflect with another ward before launching a followup electrical attack on its left wing, and by the time the dragon was soaring over them, Kyoko was also ready and sent another javelin flying into the dragon's underside.

With a painful, agonizing screech the dragon took a tumble, crashing into the trees ahead before making a complete u-turn, plummeting to the ground with enough force to make the earth shake. Its body coasted forward on the momentum towards the girls and their guar.

Kyoko's eyes widened, "Oh SHI-" without so much as a second thought, she grabbed both Nagisa and the bag of supplies and straight up abandoned their steed when the dragon, still dragging forward, opened its mouth and unloaded more fire. The guar didn't know what hit it, being incinerated and then crushed under the dragon's weight within seconds. The two girls fell to the ground, rolling downhill away from the dragon until they were stopped by a tree. Kyoko cradled Nagisa the whole way down, even abandoning the food bag half-way.

"**Impudent Joor"** the dragon wheezed as it pulled itself up, blood still leaking from the two wounds Kyoko had managed to inflict, **"I will feast on your essence"**. It began to crawl to them, clearly incredibly pissed off.

"Nagisa" Kyoko gripped the younger girl's shoulder as she got to her knees. Her voice was deadly serious, "Get behind me". The redhead, sporting a few new cuts and bruises from the impact, pushed herself ahead of the other girl and fully stood up, wincing in pain as she did; she'd definitely hurt her ribs. Her helmet was gone; it had been thrown from her body and now lay somewhere out of reach. She pulled out her last javelin, wielding it in one hand as she cradled her side with her other as she prepared her final stand. "Tough talk coming from someone whose face I just fucked up" she taunted at the dragon.

It was a bluff, nothing more. As long as they'd had the guar they'd at least had some semblance of speed or mobility on their side, but right now they were sitting ducks in front of the much larger and far more impressive creature, especially now that she was wounded. Their magic hadn't been doing much to it, and she was down to her last round of physical ammo.

"**Any final tinvaak?"** the dragon asked, now towering over the two kids, ready to deliver a final blow.

Kyoko spat into the dirt as she readied her final javelin throw, "Yeah, you're ugly". In response the dragon reared back, fire forming in its mouth.

"...Sorry, Nagisa" Kyoko muttered with finality and a hint of regret back to her companion. The other girl gave her a sad but reassuring nod in return. Idly Kyoko wondered if there really was a heaven or hell. She really kind of wished she'd had an opportunity to apologize to the others. So much for that.

...And then neither girl was standing where they'd been. They now found themselves several dozen meters away, safely out of reach of the dragon's current immolating attack. It quickly ceased its assault upon noticing that its quarry was no longer in the kill zone, and upon realizing what had happened, turned its attention to figure in a nondescript brown robe now standing between it and the two girls.

"**You dare use time magic against a dovah?!_"_** the dragon roared, clearly deeply offended. It shifted its body to face the newcomer.

The man dropped his hood, revealing himself to have golden skin, brown hair, and long ears—a high elf. Nagisa grinned at his appearance. Kyoko frowned. "Apologies" he said with an even voice, "But I need these girls alive".

The dragon snorted with contempt, **"For what reason? They are intruders, volaan. Their presence upsets the balance of the mundus"**.

"You are quite correct" the elf responded, "But if you kill them you deny them the chance to fix what has been done, and in turn left the problem unsolved entirely".

"**And you think they can do as you say?"**

"I dare say, they are probably the only ones who can" the elf replied. The dragon did not seem convinced, so the elf added, "I do warn you; you are wounded, while I can call in reinforcements. The Psijic Order does not desire a fight, but we cannot allow you to kill them".

The dragon paused, slightly taken aback by the elf's claim at being from the Order. He considered the situation; it was true as while he was far from finished, the girls' attacks had certainly injured him, and the threat of a concentrated Psijic assault was arguably an even worse threat than Neloth and his guards. Still, the dragon's pride made it difficult to retreat after _two_ failed engagements against the same prey.

After a moment of consideration, the dragon finally relented with a nod, then regarded the two girls, **"Begone from my island, for I shall not spare you a third tiid"**.

With that, the dragon turned and extended its wings, the left one clearly injured and in a mild amount of pain as the dragon flinched. After taking a moment to gather itself, the creature pushed itself from the ground, springing into the air once more and taking off—somewhat unevenly with a limp—into the distance.

With a satisfied look, the elf turned, "You managed to wound a dragon. That's no small-" he paused when he was slightly surprised to find a javelin staring him in the face. It was almost comical; a redheaded girl half his size, with armor that was clearly far too big for her. Yet her pose was experienced, and the elf knew far too well how important she was.

"Ah" he said, putting his hands up in a show of deference, "I mean no harm. My name is Valtir, and I am with the Psijic Order".

Kyoko snorted with derision, "Yeah, whatever, I can make up words too. Tell Neloth we're not going back".

"I'm not with Neloth" Valtir said, "Though I am well aware he is..._difficult_ to work with in the best of times".

"Bullshit. You just expect me to believe you randomly found us out here? I'm not an idiot" Kyoko kept her javelin trained on the elf, with Nagisa safely behind her.

"I did not, no. As I said, I am with the Psijic Order, and I am a friend" Valtir said.

Kyoko's eyes narrowed, "Prove it".

The elf sighed. As if warding off a dragon wasn't enough? "The Psijic Order is a monastic organization dedicated to study and practice, and that extends to watching Nirn for possible threats. Further, I know where your friends are, and I know where they are going. If you come with me, I can take you to them".

THAT got both girls' attention; Kyoko's grip on her javelin slackened a bit as her glare softened, "You...how do I know you're not lying?"

Valtir motioned to Kyoko's weapon and she put it aside for now. "Madoka Kaname, Mami Tomoe, and Sayaka Miki arrived in Skyrim around the same time you arrived here. They are now en-route to the College of Winterhold. From Raven Rock, it's only a couple day trip, and you would arrive there before they do" the elf gave her a kind smile, "I cannot prove to you I am not lying, but I implore you to trust me all the same. I mean you no harm, I assure you. Quite the opposite, in fact".

Mami and Sayaka. Despite herself, despite all the lessons she'd taught herself, she couldn't help but hope he was telling the truth. She desperately wanted him to be telling the truth. They might be alive. They might be here. Kyoko repressed her tears as she felt a weight lifting off her shoulders despite her best efforts to deny his claims, "What about Homura? Homura Akemi?"

The elf shook his head, "We're still trying to locate her. Initial estimates put her location somewhere in the Reach, but she seems to have given us the slip".

Kyoko let out a haggard laugh, "That sounds like her alright" she gave Nagisa a look. The younger girl nodded back at her, and Kyoko sighed as she relented, turning her attention back to the elf as she stuck her weapon into the dirt, "Alright, let's say I believe you. Why would you want to help us find our friends? In my experience, most Good Samaritans are either frauds, stupid, or both".

"That...is a difficult question to answer, and one I would prefer to explain with all of you present. The short answer however, is that your arrival here has disrupted the natural balance of Nirn, the plane we currently stand on. We need your help to correct that".

Kyoko frowned, "...The dragon said something about that. But what the hell did we do?"

The elf gave a thin smile in amusement, "Two daedric gods burned through this world's defenses and crash-landed on this plane. That by itself would be a cause for alarm. But you did more than that, you brought with yourselves remnants of your world which, if left unchecked, could have cataclysmic consequences".

"...Remnants?" Kyoko asked, "What kind of-"

"...The meteor shower" Nagisa spoke up in realization as she put the pieces together in her head. The two girls glanced at each other, then back at the wizard.

Valtir nodded, "Exactly. As I said, we need your help and time is of the essence".

Kyoko sighed, desire finally winning over caution and suspicion, "Fine, you've got a deal. Get us the hell off this island".

The elf smiled, giving a slight magnanimous bow before motioning a direction for them to follow, "Raven Rock is about three hours northwest of here on foot. We'll be there by late afternoon. You certainly got close" he paused—the girls weren't following him.

Kyoko had walked over to where she'd thrown her supply sack away and picked it up before looking for her helmet—no sign of it, damn. She sighed and wrapped her scarf around her mouth; it would have to do.

"Oh, one more thing?" Kyoko told the elf as she re-approached him, her demeanor shifting to ice cold as she spoke lowly enough to not catch Nagisa's ears, "If this is a trick, they won't find enough of you to fit in one of those magic potion jars".

Valtir remained impassive, "I assure you, I am entirely above-board".

"Better be" the redhead muttered as the two girls found themselves in the company of an elven wizard for the second time since they'd come here. The trio headed for town.

* * *

Homura flexed in her new attire, making sure it all fit just right.

"Took some retooling" the shopkeeper, a caucasian man in his mid-thirties, told her as she stood in the main room of the armorer store, "Don't get many kids asking for gear like this. Thankfully I had an old one fitted for a wood elf from a while back who tried to skimp out on payment. How's it feel?"

Homura stood neck to toe in moderately thick yet flexible leather armor. It was a bit tighter and more restrictive than she'd imagined, but then she'd never really worn armor before. Still, it seemingly did its job at protection, and she could still move fairly well so she assumed this was a success.

"It's fine" she said, "Exactly what I was looking for". Aside from her new armor, Homura had kept the cloak, though right now she had the hood down, as well as of course her bow and sword.

"You sure she'll need all this just for a hunting trip?" the shopkeep asked Theodor, who was currently re-arranging books on a shelf by color instead of alphabetically, "Seems a little over...um..." he trailed off when he saw what the other man was doing, "Please...don't do that..."

Theodor stopped what he was doing, then looked back with a sheepish smile as if he'd been caught doing something naughty, "Oh, yes, of course. Can't be too careful with my nieces' first hunting trip! Could you imagine if something happened? What if she lost an eye? Or a leg? What would her parents say? We'd have to get her a peg-leg, call her Peggy...the name change forms would be a nightmare in and of themselves, you know how Whiterun bureaucracy is".

"Uh..."

Homura coughed politely, "My uh, _uncle_" she grit her teeth as she stuck to their cover story, "Has an...odd sense of humor. Don't mind him".

The store owner shrugged, "Yes...uh, well, it seems everything is in order. If you are satisfied, Ms...Akemi, was it?"

Homura nodded.

"And Mr...Gorlash?"

"She's my sister's kid" Theodor said with a smile, "Or brother's. Whichever one gets us different last names".

Homura resisted the urge to facepalm.

The shopkeep looked at both of them, "Uh...huh"

"I'm adopted" Homura said, putting on her best 'good girl' face.

* * *

"You can't even keep track of the cover story _you_ came up with" Homura growled as they left the store and exited out onto the main street of the small town they found themselves in. Her eye twitch was back; it had been doing a lot of that today.

"You're really tightly wound, you know that?" Theodor replied casually as he stoked his beard "You need to learn to relax. Oooh, I know! There's a bakery down the street. You ever had a sweet roll? They're to die for".

"I'm not interested".

The older man shrugged, "Fine, fine. Suit yourself, more for me". Together the unlikely duo headed over to the bakery Theodor had seen, but as soon as he entered the shop Homura vanished with an invisibility spell and high-tailed northward as fast as possible.

She HAD warned him, after all.

* * *

She'd only managed to keep up her invisibility for a scant few minutes before her magical reserves had emptied out, but by then she'd managed to get out of town and lose Theodor altogether. Now, three hours later Homura felt just relaxed enough to be able to dare enjoy the cool afternoon breeze as it wafted over the open plains. The sun was shining, Theodor was long gone, and within a few more days she would finally arrive where Hircine said Madoka had been staying.

Things were...looking up…? That felt weird. Like, unsettlingly weird.

Her chest tightened at the thought of something going wrong. She'd arrive in Frost Creek only to find it burned to the ground by bandits, or she'd find out Hircine had been lying to her and Madoka had never made it here alive.

...Or she'd find Madoka, and the pink-haired girl would only look at her in disgust over what she'd done. Even Madoka had to have limits to what she could accept, and Homura had pushed right through those and kept going some time ago.

...What WAS she going to do when she saw Madoka again? Homura had been doing her best to ignore that question, but here as she found herself alone the question stared at her right in the face. She'd essentially declared Madoka her enemy; the culmination of the promise she'd made during Madoka's first attempt at re-ascension. She'd hurt her friends. She'd ruined the world Madoka had thought so highly of.

Homura had long assumed she and Madoka would never be together, would never be friends again. After the first few timeline loops she had moved further and further away from the other girl, helped in no small part thanks to her increasing trauma and abandonment of any pretense of a life beyond fighting. Even if she had beaten Walpergisnacht, she would have been too distant, too broken for Madoka to have ever cared for her as she once had.

And then just like that, Madoka had been gone. She'd never existed, and for a time Homura wondered if she hadn't just made it all up, wondered if she hadn't just gone mad. She almost did go mad.

...And then in a fit of terrible inspiration she'd pulled god down from heaven, imprisoning her in a gilded cage so as to finally give her the life she'd been owed so long ago. And as a demon, as the very concept of evil, Homura knew she had no place in Madoka's life beyond that of a shadowy protector. She didn't deserve to be any closer. Even serving as her doomed warden had been too high an honor.

And then she killed the universe. Because she still wasn't good enough. Because everything and everyone were working against her. Because she was worthless.

So the question remained, what _would_ Homura do when she caught up with Madoka? Revealing herself would only instigate a conflict; if not with Madoka, then certainly with Mami or Sayaka. Kyoko now as well, probably; she'd burned that bridge quite brilliantly.

And that confrontation would only hurt Madoka.

...Maybe she should just stay away.

Homura stopped, no longer paying attention to the sun or the breeze. Familiar dread filled the pit of her stomach as a maelstrom of conflicting emotions threatened to overtake her. She'd betrayed them all, each in turn and played her role to the bloody end...and yet it had been _necessary._ She did what the others could not. Given their personalities if left free they would only ever spiral into pointless self-sacrifice—either because of Incubator plots or because of simply who they _were,_ and each would inevitably drag the others down with them.

As if she was any better. No, she was even worse. She'd failed just as utterly and completely as any of them, and her price was far higher.

"Ah, there you are! Been waitin' for ya!"

Homura jumped, shaken from her thoughts by the voice coming from atop a rocky outcropping on the side of the road. Sure enough, on top sat Theodor Gorlash, stuffing his face.

"You—how-" Homura sputtered, at a loss as to how he'd found her, or even how he'd gotten here before her.

With his characteristic wide grin, the elder man dropped down like someone forty years younger, "I told you! I'm a really good tracker" he handed her a sweet roll, "Here, you forgot this". It was still warm, even hours later. That didn't seem possible.

"I didn't-"

"Nonsense!" he shoved it at her, "Junk food makes everything better! Except heart disease, I guess" he paused, "You don't have to worry about that, right?"

Homura sighed. She could feel the headache returning, "...Not _anymore..."_

"Good, good" Theodor said dismissively as they began to walk once more, "So what's been eating you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You looked like someone had just eaten your cat. Not that cats aren't tasty, but I can see why you'd be distressed, it's your cat after all".

"It's none of your business" Homura said briskly, irritated that Theodor was once again trying to get inside her head. For some reason he was relentless in asking about her goals, backstory, anything that would get her to open up.

Theodor walked a bit in front of her, turning around as he kept moving forward, "Aw, don't be like that. Let Uncle Theo in, I'm only here to help".

"You are _not_ my uncle" Homura glared at him.

"Your sweet roll's getting cold".

Homura's stomach growled despite herself when she looked down at the pastry still in her hands. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it looked and smelled _so good_. Her hunger got the better of her, and even with her not wanting to seem even remotely grateful to the man she quickly found herself digging into the food with gusto.

Theodor laughed, "Ah, see? Nothing like food to make everything better. Now, what's the problem? Homesick? Pet die? Mom wouldn't let you go to that party so you snuck out late at night and now you're grounded? Worried about mortality and the implications of the utter horrifying abyss we hover over every waking second of our lives?" he gave another sharp laugh, "Just kidding, mostly. But seriously, boyfriend troubles?" he paused, his grin somehow getting even wider, "...Or girlfriend troubles?"

Homura froze, her mouth full of the pastry as she looked at the man as he gave her a knowing look. She tried to pass it off by looking away as she swallowed her food, but it was too late; there was blood in the water.

"Ah. What's the matter? Got into a fight? Don't know how to apologize? Sweets are always good, flowers a close second. Selling your soul to a daedric god...less advisable. Ooh! You could always kill a man, turn them inside out, and use them as a full-body puppet! Think of the puppet shows".

Homura looked at him like he was insane. Well, more insane than usual.

"What?" he asked defensively, "She might have a hidden kink, you don't know. Unless it wasn't that bad of a breakup".

"...It was" Homura admitted at last, quietly.

When she didn't elaborate Theodor decided to push further, "So what'd she do to make you angry at her?"

Homura gave him an offended glare, "What? Madoka didn't do anything. She couldn't" Homura sighed, "She's the nicest, kindest person. She's pure and selfless" too pure, too selfless. That was her flaw and every time the world chewed her up and spit her back out for it, "She couldn't ever do anything to hurt me or make me angry".

"Madoka, eh?" Theodor smiled. Homura winced at that, cursing herself for the accidental dropping of information as he continued, "So you hurt _her_, then?"

Homura looked at the ground aimlessly, but said nothing.

"And now you want to find her and apologize".

"...No". Theodor gave her an expecting look as she replied, "I did what was _necessary_, and I won't ever regret it". She'd saved Madoka, she'd protected Madoka, she'd _given Madoka her life back_. She'd given all of them their happy lives. She had sacrificed everything, all for her.

...And then she'd ruined it all, even as Madoka had cried for her to stop.

So where did that leave her? Where did it leave Homura?

"So why do you seem like you do?"

"I _don't_" Homura reaffirmed tersely, stopping to look the old man directly in the eyes with steel and determination, "And I'll keep doing it. I'll keep protecting her, I'll keep saving her, I'll keep suffering in her place, forever. I'll never let her hurt for as long as I am able". With that, Homura dramatically flicked her cloak, turned on her heels, and continued marching down the road at a brisk pace.

While she felt saddened that she'd been forced into her actions, she _refused_ to feel remorse.

"...Even if she hates me for it" she added, so quietly only she could hear.

Theodor followed behind, his trademark grin having turned predatory, "...Good".

* * *

Raven Rock was...different. Tel Mithryn had been different too, but Raven Rock was a different kind of different. Tel Mithryn had been very fairy tale-esque, with large hollowed-out mushroom buildings and faint strings of lanterns...Raven Rock meanwhile was almost sci-fi, like something out of Star Wars or something, if Star Wars didn't have spaceships. The oddly-spaced streets were populated with guar and elves in strange outfits, flanked by hut-like buildings that seemed almost bug-like to Kyoko and Nagisa's sensibilities; and as Valtir explained, they were almost exactly that—buildings coated with repurposed crab shells.

How goddamn _weird._

The only buildings that didn't follow that aesthetic were the brick huts with straw roofs lining the town's docks. Well, that and the giant stone bulwark at the south end keeping ash from flooding into the town. In the distance in the center of the bay, they could catch the sight of a large statue of a woman holding what seemed to be a star and a moon in either hand.

"Raven Rock was once an Imperial mining town a few centuries back" Valtir explained as they walked the streets, "The ebony mine here is still a major producer. But then Oblivion Crisis and Red Year happened, and the Empire suddenly had bigger problems to worry about. Since then House Redoran of Morrowind has taken over".

"...Oblivion Crisis?" Kyoko asked, lost.

"It's...a long story" the elf replied, "I'm sure the College will fill you in when you arrive. It's actually somewhat relevant to the situation at hand".

"...Woah" Nagisa was wide-eyed. Kyoko caught what she was mesmerized by, and her jaw dropped a bit too.

Ahead of them a pack of floating fleshy jellyfish-like creatures with blue glowing undersides were being guided down the street by a dark elf.

Valtir nodded, "Ah, netches. Graceful creatures, as long as you don't make them angry. The dunmer domesticate them and use them for leather and jelly production".

"...Is it better than scrib jelly?" Nagisa asked, making a face.

Valtir chuckled, "Not that kind of jelly. Netches are notorious for their paralyzing toxins. You don't want to eat anything they make".

The town was arranged around the bay, terraced as it went further inland. Its expansion was limited however, by the towering cliffs made up of vaguely hexagonal pillars. Something about them seemed familiar to Kyoko; she remembered something in a book her dad had owned about Scotland or Ireland or...somewhere.

"So what's Skyrim like?" asked Nagisa.

The elf rubbed his beard, "Where we're headed? Cold, very cold. Winterhold has snow year-round. Nothing like home, but there is an ethereal, primal beauty to it".

"Blue skies? Sun?" Kyoko asked, almost pleadingly.

Valtir gave a wry smile, "When it's not snowing".

Well, at least it wasn't ash. At this point Kyoko would take it, "So now what?"

"Now we book passage on a ship" Valtir directed them towards the docks, "I warn you though, we may be here a while. Raven Rock may be a busy port, but most of that is industrial, not personal transport".

* * *

"So then Mami comes over all concerned" Kyoko put on her best Mami impression, which was close enough to elicit a giggle from Nagisa, "'_What am I going to do with you two_?_This is a serious situation blah blah blah'. _But Sayaka's still just dangling like a foot off the ground with my spear nailing her cape to the wall" Kyoko paused, nearly snorting out the drink she was downing at the memory as she tried and failed to keep her composure, "She tries to tell Mami something, but it just comes out all garbled because of her cape choking her, 'Grhrghghrhghrghrh', like some sort of dying animal".

"Did...did you let her down?" Nagisa asked, laughing heartily at the story.

Kyoko shrugged, leaning back in her chair as she emptied her mug, "Eventually, once the wraiths were dead and she finally figured out she could detach the damn thing. She was _pissed._ Didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. Serves me right for saving her from that fall I guess".

"...She has regenerative abilities. And you hung her by the _neck_" Nagisa countered, still laughing.

"Eh, it's the thought that counts" Kyoko sighed, "Ah, good times".

As it turned out, the next boat to Winterhold wouldn't leave until morning, meaning that the girls and Valtir had had to check in to one of the local inns, the 'Retching Netch'. It was like the inverse of Neloth's tower; his had been bark-like and fungal, and up in the air, this was insectoid and underground aside from the small entryway. Neloth's workshop had been open and wide, this place was a bit more claustrophobic, made of small sectioned-off semi-rooms divided by arches that kept the place from caving in. Right now the two girls sat on opposite sides of a small table with a lantern between them. There were a handful of other patrons, most of them dark elves but also the first human the girls had seen other than themselves; a dark-skinned woman in her fifties who looked to be a miner. One of the dark elves was standing in the middle of the open area trying to do a flute rendition of a drinking song.

'Trying' being the operative word.

"Were was Homura during all this?" Nagisa asked.

Kyoko shrugged again, "She wasn't around yet. Homura just kind of showed up one day out of the blue as if she'd known us for years and just _knowing_ things about us. It was kinda weird, but now I guess I know why".

A comfortable silence descended on them until Nagisa voiced a bit of tenseness she'd been struggling with, "...Hey, Kyoko? What are we going to do when we meet up with the others?" It had been one thing when they'd been struggling to get through one day after the next and the idea of meeting up with the others had been hypothetical at best. But now that it was frighteningly real and even close at hand, worries had begun to bubble up.

In truth, Kyoko had been struggling with this dilemma herself. The last they'd seen of Mami they'd been locked in mortal combat, and as for Sayaka well… "We'll figure it out when we get there. Don't worry too much, it'll be fine" she said, though she was privately doubtful of the second part of that. Sayaka was definitely one to hold a grudge, and Mami's sternness when she believed she was in the right wasn't that far behind.

"Do you think they'll forgive us?"

Kyoko bristled, then scoffed, "There's nothing to forgive. What would we apologize for? 'Sorry Sayaka, we pulled your ass out of a fire you lit, _again. _You're welcome'".

Nagisa gripped her mug, looking down at the table with regret, "After what Homura did to her..."

"Homura lost her goddamn mind" Kyoko replied crossly. She thought of Sayaka and how she'd looked when she'd last seen her—bound and helpless, and sickly looking. Anger bubbled up, "And if I ever see her again I'm going to punch some sense into her. But that doesn't mean we were wrong too. We weren't".

"...I betrayed the others..."

"No, you _didn't._ You saw an opportunity and made a choice to keep living. That's not betrayal, that's self-preservation" Kyoko grabbed Nagisa's hand, pressuring her to look the redhead in the eyes, "Listen to me. Don't ever apologize for wanting to live. Ever. Understand?"

Nagisa looked away, hesitating. But Kyoko squeezed harder, "If anyone ever has a problem with that, they're the asshole, not you" Nagisa finally nodded, and Kyoko let go, satisfied.

"We have a room reserved" Valtir said lowly, approaching the girls as he low-key looked over the room with caution, "We'll leave first thing in the morning. Come, it's late".

"...Worried about something?" Kyoko asked with a mixture of suspicion and concern. She knew someone watching their back for a knife when she saw it.

"As a member of the Order, I am always worried about a great many things" the elf told her, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kyoko frowned, "Yeah, no. I don't do this covert ops shit. You either tell us what's up or we walk. I can find any number of ships to stow away on".

The elf gave a sigh, "Shall we retire to our room, then?"

Kyoko blinked in surprise; had...had he just ignored her? She stood up angrily, "Oh no, you think you can just sidestep this conversation? That's not how this-" Valtir cleared his throat, clearly gesturing to the room they'd rented. Kyoko paused her tirade, confused, "What? What does...oh. Oh".

Oh.

Right, privacy. Kyoko expression turned sheepish as she and Nagisa were led by the elf into the bedroom. He gestured to one of the two beds before shutting the door behind them and locking it. Magical energy generated at his fingertips as the girls sat down and then...and then the world seemed to fade away a bit. Color washed out, features became fuzzy, time slowed.

"What?!" Nagisa asked in alarm, grabbing Kyoko's arm as the redhead cast a glare at Valtir.

"A simple time-stop spell" the elf reassured them as he walked over, "I can't hold it forever, but it will give us some space for now".

Kyoko relaxed slightly and looked over the washed-out reality. It was almost dreamlike, ethereal. This felt nothing like what Homura's powers inside her labyrinth had been like. She turned her attention back on their companion, "Okay, so spill. What's got you so worried?"

Valtir sighed again as he sat down on the other bed, "It's the same reason I came to you dressed like this" he gestured to his nondescript robes, "And why I didn't just create a portal to Winterhold".

"...You can make portals?" Nagisa asked excitedly, her eyes glimmering.

The elf nodded, "Yes, but doing so can be tracked by powerful mages. I'm trying to get you to Winterhold without arousing too much suspicion".

"...So who's after you?" Kyoko asked.

Valtir paused, thinking, "...What do you know about the Aldmeri Dominion?"

"Neloth mentioned them once" Nagisa answered, "He said they did...something to Morrowind. A civil war, I think?"

Valtir nodded, "They attempted to commit a coup using House Sadras as their puppet, yes. The other Great Houses paid the price when House Redoran came down on them. The Dominion has been a..." he considered his words as diplomatically as possible, "_destabilizing_ influence on Tamrielic politics for the past few centuries. The Skyrim Civil War, the collapse of the Empire, the rising tensions in Iliac Bay; their goal has always been to forge a new Elven Hegemony over Tamriel, and to do that they've been doing their best to unseat everyone else".

Kyoko folded her arms as she leaned back, "And what does this have to do with you?"

"The Dominion rules over the home of my people, the Summerset Isles" he paused, "Or rather, I suppose the name is 'Alinor' now. Confusing, considering that's also the name of the capital. At any rate, when the Thalmor, the ruling body of the Dominion first took control of Summerset, our Order fled Tamriel, taking our home island and folding it into its own pocket plane. We did not agree with the Thalmor's motives and methods, and in return they classified us as a rogue faction".

"So they've been hunting you since".

Again the elf nodded, "They've stepped up their game as of late, and they have many powerful mages in their employ. They've been trying to track our movements, trying to find away to our pocket realm. I fear they're closing in".

Nagisa frowned, "You think they're here?"

"I don't know" Valtir admitted, "Their agents could be anywhere. But more than that, I don't want them getting wind of _you._ I'm sure they've already a fair idea of what's happened—more than enough time has passed, and if they find out you and your friends are here, I can only imagine what they'd do to try and utilize you as an asset".

Kyoko's frowned deepened as she looked down at her legs, digesting the context, "So...we're being hunted then".

"Possibly, yes. I certainly am".

"...Sounds like you're dangerous to be around" Kyoko said, "What's to stop us from just leaving you behind?"

"Nothing" he replied, "You can unlatch that door right now and walk right out; I won't stop you. I hope you don't, but I understand that you don't trust me. I wish I could offer assurances, but I cannot until we reach Winterhold".

The time stop spell ended, and reality slowly began to resume. Kyoko and Nagisa looked at one another. Kyoko wasn't sold; what if he was lying? What if he'd sought them out just to 'utilize' them as he'd put it? What if he wasn't lying, but they fell into Dominion hands because of him? What if it was all a trap?

But Nagisa's expression was pleading. It was risky, she knew. But if there WAS a chance they could see the others again, then they really didn't have a choice in the matter, did they? Kyoko knew that; as much as she'd put up a bluff with Valtir, in the end it was only that: a bluff.

"Fine" the redhead relented with a grumble, even as Nagisa gave her a hug. She eyed the elf, "But there better be one hell of a payoff at the end of this. I want answers".

"And you'll get them" Valtir replied, relieved, "I promise".

* * *

Morning came quickly; far too quickly. Valtir had had his hands full trying to get the two girls up and on their feet after they'd spent two full days being awake. They operated almost like zombies until they'd gotten some food, gathering their scant belongings and following the elf out onto the main street of town.

In her hands Nagisa held a book on enchanting. She'd never seen it before, and frankly was at a loss as to how it had gotten into her bag.

"What's that?" Kyoko asked idly as they neared the harbor, seeing the younger girl flipping through the pages.

"Hmm?" Nagisa's eyes met Kyoko's before going back to the book in question, "A guide on enchantments".

"Oh, huh, neat" Kyoko said, "...Where'd you get it?"

"I, uh..." Nagisa trailed off as she remembered: she'd asked Neloth about enchanting. Had he...had he put this book in here without her knowing? It definitely looked like one of his tomes, "I think it's...Neloth's".

Kyoko's eyes widened as her face shifted into a wide grin, "You _stole_ that from the old man? Hah!" she slapped Nagisa's shoulder in good humor, "There might be hope for you yet".

"...Yeah..." Nagisa said, unconvincingly. Kyoko paid her no mind however, as they approached the boat they'd be sailing on. It wasn't anything special; a simple wooden boat with a below-deck and one major junk sail. The most interesting part of the boat was the curved 'tail' on the back end that looped back around towards the ship.

Nagisa paused as Valtir handed over payment to the dark elf woman who was the ship's captain, the implications becoming clear. He'd _known._ Neloth had known their whole plan and let it happen anyway.

Well, didn't that make her feel like a piece of shit after she'd burned down his guar pens?

"Last call!" the dunmer captain called out as she counted her money. Valtir guided the girls onto the ship, and both of them took one last long look at the town. Kyoko leaned backwards against the railing, while Nagisa sat down cross-legged and began to go over her new book. A few minutes later the ship loosed itself from the docks and exited the harbor. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief as Solstheim began to get smaller and smaller in the distance. They were finally off that godforsaken island.

"Good riddance" she mumbled.

Nagisa looked up at her, "It wasn't _that _bad".

The redhead rolled her eyes, "Nah. Except for, y'know, the dragons, the asshole wizards, the ash storms, the asshole wizards, the weird bug things, the asshole wizards, the awful food, and did I mention the _asshole wizards?!_"

Nagisa coughed, nodding her head towards Valtir as the latter did a rather good job of pretending not to be listening.

Kyoko snorted and shrugged, partly out of spite and partly out of embarrassment, "…I know what I said" she said flatly, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry" Valtir said, breaking his silence even as he continued to look away from them towards the open ocean impassively, "I'm sure soon you'll learn to hate mainland Tamriel for all sorts of other reasons".

Kyoko glared at him, "Was that supposed to be a crack at me!?"

The elf gave her a brief smile before turning back against her. The redhead couldn't help but utter a short laugh as her expression softened.

"...Maybe you're not as bad as I thought".

* * *

Madoka looked through her bag as they walked, making sure to keep one hand dragging Sayaka's cart, "...We're running low on those speech potions Aia gave us" she muttered. They'd learned a bit of Cyrodillic working for Aia and Bren, but a week or two was not enough time to master a language, magical enhancements or not, and right now they still depended on outside assistance. They'd intended to ration it to only when they were nearing a town, but as they'd soon found out they were constantly running into small villages and settlements the whole way. Stonehills, Windward, Snowwatch...

It had been six days since they'd left Frost Creek. They'd reached the city of Morthal by mid-afternoon on the first day and had decided to keep going, eventually making it to the main road by nightfall where they'd found a nice rock outcropping to sleep under. The second day was where the promised snows had begun, and while they'd been lucky not to have been caught in any blizzards, there was by now an inch or two of snow blanketing the ground and pine trees that littered the region. The girls were really glad for the wolf fur cloaks Aia had given them.

The terrain hadn't been dense enough with trees to really be called a forest, but it was also more clustered than open plains. It was definitely far more scenic than the swamp had been, especially since the road found itself flanking a rather impressive range of mountains to the south.

This trip had also been Mami and Madoka's first real taste of Skyrim's night sky; the twin moons that orbited this planet (both of which were far larger in the sky than Earth's moon), as well as the vibrant auroras that dominated after sunset. Mami in particular had never seen northern lights outside of a book and had been mesmerized; Madoka had, obviously, but the memories were faded and warped, as if they were a memory of a memory at this point.

...Madoka was really enjoying it actually, though she'd be hard-pressed to admit it. She could _feel_ the soft crinkle of the fresh snow under her boots, the muffled silence a snowfall brought. She could _feel_ cold nip in air, the cold wind that made her shiver. She could _feel_ the pull of the cart behind her, the mild frustration of each time it got caught in a rut. After literal eons, she was real, present, and _here_. She could feel, and listen, and talk. She could _be._

Madoka wondered if this was how her mom felt on the extremely rare occasion she had ever gotten a day off. She giggled inwardly, then stopped when she realized.

...Was it worth the cost? Was it worth the dead?

"We'll be fine" Mami said, not completely confident in her words and ignorant of Madoka's train of thought, "I'm sure the College will be able to resupply us".

"If we make it there before then" Madoka replied, pulling herself back to the present as she put one of the remaining vials back in her pack, "We reach Dawnstar tomorrow, right?" she asked, looking up at the sky. The sun wasn't quite setting yet, but it was definitely late afternoon.

"According to the map" Mami said, pulling it back out as they kept walking, "We passed Windward about an hour ago, so...yes. We might actually be able to reach it tonight if we wanted to just keep going. I don't know how I feel about hiking at night though".

Madoka agreed, not relishing the idea, "Better safe than sorry".

Mami nodded, putting the map away again, "Tomorrow it is then" she glanced back at Madoka, "You've been carrying Sayaka for a few hours now. Do you want to switch?"

Madoka shook her head with a thin smile, "I'm fine, but thanks".

"If you're sure..." Mami said, leaving the offer open.

"Perhaps we could take her off your hands" came the voice of an old woman. The girls turned to the source; a figure stepped out from behind a tree.

She was _not_ an old woman. The creature was six, maybe seven feet tall with pale, unhealthy skin. She was seemingly malnourished; frail, yet still somehow powerful. Instead of feet she had giant bird claws, and her fingers were long and bladed like curved daggers. Her face was twisted and birdlike, and she was unkempt and scantily clad, wearing only rotten scraps of mismatched leather which were _not_ flattering. Madoka and Mami instinctively stepped back as the creature blocked the road.

"Who are you?" Mami asked, drawing her sword as she instantly switched into combat mode, "..._what_ are you?"

"Are these the ones?" another old lady, almost birdlike, voice asked from behind. Madoka looked behind her and saw two more bird women taking up the road behind them, "They seem...disappointing".

"Positive" said the third as Madoka pulled her bow out, "What he wants with such infants I can't say, though they do radiate something strange..." She was more birdlike than the other two; snow white in color, with feathers extending from her forearms in a half-wing.

Mami and Madoka tensed up and closed ranks as the three assailants began to move in.

"Come dearies, we won't hurt you if you cooperate" the first bird-lady said.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to decline" Mami said, pointing her sword at the first creature as if daring her to approach, "Back away".

The second one squawked in amusement as Madoka trained her bow at her, "However, we _will _hurt you if you don't. We only need your soul gems; your bodies are expendable".

A cold chill went down both girls' spines; these bird-women _knew_. Madoka's eyes instinctively went to the ring on her finger, still clutching her bow.

"Last chance, little girls. It would be a shame to mar those pretty faces" the first creature crowed as she brandished her talons threateningly. Neither ex-magical girl moved from their spot.

"Please, we don't want to fight" Madoka said, trying a last-ditch effort at diplomacy even though deep down she knew it wouldn't work. Destroying witches was one thing, but killing living, breathing people was entirely different from putting down tortured, shattered ghosts. Madoka had done it before; in fact that girl was now standing back to back with her, but it wasn't something the pinkette relished the thought of doing again.

"Madoka" Mami said quietly, drawing the other girl back to the present. Madoka nodded in affirmation.

"If you didn't want to fight, you should have surrendered" the first bird-lady said and then called to her sisters, "Preserve the gems! Let the flesh fall where it may!"

The bird-women rushed in from all sides, and Madoka loosed her first arrow.


	7. 1x06: Why do you smell like fish?

_A/N: To the guest to left a review last time, don't worry; this story is getting done one way or another. If I've committed to a project then I am going to finish it, and I am very familiar with writing long winded pretentious epics and getting almost zero response for them. __And anyway, I'm posting this to a few different sites where I _am _getting more reception, so it's all good. Thanks!  
_

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX: WHY DO YOU SMELL LIKE FISH?**

* * *

Madoka's arrow narrowly missed the first hagraven as the crone-beast flew in towards the pinkette. She prepared another shot, but it veered off wildly as the hagraven almost seemed to teleport right in front of Madoka and set her off-guard. Madoka dodged a swipe from the talons, then blocked a second swipe with her bow before landing a solid kick on the crone's withered midsection. This was enough to knock the wind out of the bird-lady, giving Madoka a chance to draw her sword.

Mami meanwhile was fighting two on one. She'd had the sense to grab one of the extra short swords they kept with Sayaka, allowing her to now fight two-handed. She was doing a fine job of it, blocking each assault in turn in a graceful and fluid manner.

...At least, until the white hagraven vanished in a burst of feathers and then re-appeared behind Mami.

"...What?!" the surprised blonde got out before she sent herself tumbling to the ground in a last-ditch bid to avoid being gutted. The white hagraven was on her, feet talons descending on Mami with ferocity. She again avoided being struck, but was now firmly on the defensive as she struggled to get herself back up off the ground and into a proper fighting position.

"Mami!" Madoka shouted out in alarm, though she herself was in no condition to do anything. The pink-haired girl was currently pinned against a tree, her sword guarding her against the first hagraven's claws as the awful creature's cackling gave Madoka a whiff of her truly awful breath. She was stronger than the average person even without her magical girl powers, but Madoka found these hagravens to just as strong as she was, if not more so thanks to the fact that they were almost double the size of either her or Mami.

"What's the matter, dearie?" the hagraven screeched, "The more you struggle, the more it's going to hurt".

"Who—who are you!? What do you want with us?!" Madoka asked as she struggled. If they couldn't reason, then maybe at least they could get information out of the trio of monsters.

"Come with us and find out!" the hagraven crowed, before pulling one of her hands back. She came down on Madoka, aiming for the pinkette's face before the girl dropped down low and used her smaller size to roll under the hagraven, slicing at the monster's legs as she passed between them. The hagraven screeched in pain, turning around to face Madoka once more. Except instead of facing talons again, Madoka found herself dodging flying icicles the size of her head as the monster unleashed a volley of ice spike spells on the poor girl. Madoka barely evaded one and then two, then managed to shatter another with her sword.

Out of options as the hagraven prepared a lightning spell, Madoka threw her sword as hard as she could as a hail-mary, lodging it in the monster's side. It screeched in pain again as Madoka back-flipped over to where she'd left her bow and drew another arrow as the hagraven ripped the blade out and came charging.

"These don't look like any soul gems I've ever seen" the second hagraven said. She'd disengaged from her fight with Mami and now stood over Sayaka's unprotected body, holding the bluenette's soul in her claws.

"SAYAKA!" Madoka shouted in panic as her attention was diverted. The first hagraven was on her, knocking the pinkette to the ground, with only Madoka's bow keeping the monster's claws from eviscerating her.

Mami glanced over at Madoka's screams and realized she'd made a critical error and had let one of the hagravens get away. Cursing herself for such a rookie mistake, the blonde attempted to end the current fight as quickly as possible. Making the hagraven block one of her swords, Mami then used her free blade to cut off one of the hagraven's hands, causing a horrific screeching noise from her opponent as the monster staggered back in agonizing pain. Mami then followed it up with a stab to the belly before breaking from the fight and making a direct beeline to Sayaka.

It wasn't enough.

Enraged beyond all reasonable thought, the white hagraven teleported in front of Mami with a burst of feathers, then kicked the surprised blonde girl while she was in mid-run and sent her flying back into a tree. Mami rolled in midair, using the tree as a launching pad to throw herself back at the monster, swords raised.

Igniting a flame spell to cauterize the stump where her hand had once been, the white hagraven then opened fire, unleashing a powerful sustained bolt of lightning aimed at Mami.

Mami was struck dead-on, her body flying back as her weapons went scattering into the snow. The white hagraven pushed her assault on the girl, whose body was now struggling against the after-effects of being struck by lightning. Despite her handicap however, the blonde grabbed the hagraven's leg and with a mighty, albeit clumsy heave sent her flying into a tree.

"Get their soul gems and let's go" the second hagraven said as she scooped Sayaka's body over her shoulder. She looked over at the other hagraven, currently pressing herself against Madoka, "Uela, quit playing with your food and do your job!" she began to rise into the air with a magic spell, preparing to fly away.

"_SAYAKA_!" Madoka screeched in absolute gut-wrenching terror. Her friend was being taken before her eyes, and there was _nothing she could do. _Not again. Not again. She couldn't lose any more people-

"Worry less about her, and more about yourself!" Uela said, grabbing for Madoka's ring. The bow was lost in the tussle as Madoka desperately tried to wrench her hand out of the hagraven's tight grip.

Sayaka was airborne, and the hagraven she was being carried by was getting away. Mami knew she only had one shot. Grabbing her crossbow, she loaded a bolt as quickly as possible, and then even as the white hagraven was on her, aimed and fired it at the escaping creature—making sure as much as possible to avoid Sayaka. The bolt, enhanced with an electrical spell, ripped through the air and hit the hagraven in her small of her back, shattering her spine. With a crowing of agony, the hagraven fell from the sky, letting Sayaka and her soul gem go as she tumbled to the earth a few dozen meters away.

"Dyta!" Uela cried in alarm as she let Madoka's hands go.

Bad move.

Madoka grabbed her bow and another arrow, and as Uela was looking over to where her companion had fallen, Madoka let her arrow fly into Uela's neck. The hagraven stumbled back in shock as blood splattered out, clutching at the arrow and the wound.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" the white hagraven squawked at Dyta's seeming demise, aiming for Mami's head. Out of weapons and desperately wishing she had her ribbon powers, Mami fired another electrical blast. It missed; the hagraven teleported once again and came down on Mami from the side who cleanly dodged the attack. She then kept dodging, evading each and every one of the hagraven's clumsy attacks like an expert dancer.

THUNK.

Another of Madoka's arrows impacted the side of the white hagraven, the force alone enough to stagger her. She looked over at the pinkette, then at her wounded sister, now on her knees with an arrow in her neck. Mami meanwhile had managed to dig up one of her swords from the snow. With a clean swing, she separated the hagraven's head from her neck, and it was tossed into the snow as the body fell to the ground, lifeless.

Mami breathed heavily as the implications sprung up in her mind. Don't think about it. It was a monster, it was going to kill you. Don't. Think. About. It.

Uela pulled the arrow from her neck, allowing a small healing spell to stem the bleeding. All around, the situation had unraveled; Mira was dead, Dyta was _probably_ dead, and she herself was wounded and outnumbered.

...Yeah, screw this.

Backing away from Madoka as the latter readied another arrow, she teleported over to Dyta. The poor crone had broken her neck in impact with the ground; she was gone. Uela looked over the snow-covered ground for any sign of the blue-haired girl's soul gem, seeing if there was _any_ way to salvage the situation, but there wasn't any time: the other two girls were upon her.

Seeing that the game was up, Uela teleported away to a safe distance in the trees, then took flight.

Her master was _not_ going to be happy.

Madoka and Mami rushed over to Sayaka in a fit of worry and panic.

"Is she okay?!" Madoka asked Mami as the latter kneeled down where Sayaka lay in the snow. She put her hand on her neck; there was still a pulse, and she was breathing. Good. There were a few scrapes and cuts though, of which the implications were clear: Sayaka didn't have her advanced healing magic. Not that big of a surprise since their soul magic was locked off, but still unfortunate. Luckily Madoka and Mami had both picked up a basic healing spell from Wulf's training.

However, Madoka was currently busy with a far more important task.

"Where is it...where is it..." she mumbled to herself with worry, on her knees and looking for any sign of Sayaka's soul gem in the snow. She didn't see it, it wasn't here. Dread filled her stomach...Uela hadn't taken it with her, had she?

A glimmer of gold and dark caught Madoka's attention. Oh thank god. She scurried over to where the gem was half-buried and clutched it tightly against her chest as she let out a deep sigh.

Sayaka was okay.

Madoka looked over at Mami who was clearing up Sayaka's wounds. The two locked eyes.

"...We can't wait for morning" Madoka said, standing up before walking over to her and kneeling down again, "We need to get to Dawnstar tonight".

Mami nodded in understanding as she glanced up towards the evening sun. They couldn't sleep out here, not after what had just happened. _Don't think about it. _"Agreed. If we hurry, we might arrive by dawn".

Madoka picked Sayaka up and began to take her over to her cart, while Mami began to hunt down the myriad of weapons they'd left scattered across the battlefield. She stepped over the corpse of the hagraven she'd shot her crossbow bolt into—that was two bodies she was responsible for today. Wraiths were one thing, and she'd certainly gotten into scuffles with other magical girls over the years, but she'd never actually killed another sentient being before.

They were ugly, certainly, non-human definitely. They were evil and had given them no choice.

It had been so easy.

_Don't think about it._

Madoka put Sayaka back down in her cart, making sure to wrap her friend back up in the blankets. She sighed; Sayaka _should_ have been awake, considering her gem wasn't pitch-black anymore. For not the first time since coming here, Madoka wondered exactly what Homura had done. Again, Mami's quotes came back to her, but for all her (admittedly fuzzy) knowledge, Madoka couldn't figure out what Homura might have meant.

Mami handed Madoka her sword and bow, before putting one of the extra swords back in the cart with Sayaka and re-arming herself. The two looked over the battlefield—two corpses, a bunch of bloodspots, and a whole lot of footprints on the snow.

They couldn't stay here; not if the surviving hagraven brought reinforcements, or if something worse was lurking.

"Dawnstar?" Madoka asked Mami as she grabbed the cart handles.

Still staring at the battlefield, Mami didn't reply.

"...Mami? Mami!"

"Huh, wha-" the blonde was shaken from her thoughts, "Sorry, I was just..."

"...Are you okay?" Madoka asked her, concerned by the troubled, far-away look Mami was giving.

"We just..." Mami exhaled as everything caught up with her, "We just killed two people". _She_ had killed two people; Madoka had had nothing to do with it.

..Oh. Madoka glanced back at the corpses, then at Mami. In all the chaos she'd kind of forgotten; this was a Mami who hadn't had to suffer in the Witch timelines, when maiming or killing other magical girls was normal. The wraith universe had been far more forgiving, and even those older versions of Mami had usually avoided that mess but...not always.

Shades of Mami killing Kyoko after taking Sayaka's witch down flashed through Madoka's mind. Madoka killing her and then she and Homura breaking down at what she'd done.

"They...they didn't leave us a choice" Madoka told her as gently as possible, regret seeping into her voice. She never enjoyed it, she never wished it. Life was precious.

Mami blinked; at first taken aback by Madoka's seeming cavalier attitude. That...didn't feel like Madoka at all. The Madoka she knew was naive and innocent. She wouldn't be so...accepting of this. She should be freaking out right now.

But that was all a lie, wasn't it? Madoka had been a god; a timeless being who had seen everything the universe had to offer. A psychopomp who ended girls' lives and carried them off.

"I..." Mami looked into Madoka's eyes and for just the barest of an instant, she was _not_ her bashful underclassmen. She was something Older.

"I'm sorry" Madoka said, putting on a reassuring as possible smile as she could, "It's...never easy, is it?"

"...On the contrary" Mami said, disagreeing, "I...I think that might be the problem".

She was clearly shaken, Madoka could tell that much. After a moment of hesitation, Madoka turned and wrapped her arms around Mami, giving the very surprised (but grateful) older girl a hug, "If you hadn't, Sayaka would be gone and we'd be dead. You did the right thing. _Thank you_".

Mami let out a deep, shuttering breath before the two let go.

"Are you okay?" Madoka asked again.

Mami collected herself. The brief window of vulnerability vanished as Mami steadied herself, once again putting on her airs of invincibility and confidence, of composed dignity and serenity, "I...yes. I'm sorry. I'm alright".

Madoka put her hand on Mami's shoulder reassuringly with a smile. Mami returned the smile, though not quite as enthusiastically, before they finally began to head off. Mami didn't look back, she instead focused entirely on their objectives, and on the two people she was with. She didn't think about it.

_Don't think about it._

* * *

Arch-Mage Brelyna Maryon believed she was a patient person. You sort of had to be, if you were a dunmer of House Telvanni.

_Formerly _of House Telvanni, she reminded her self, even all these years later.

You _especially_ had to be, if you were going to be the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, where anything could and everything did happen.

Yet today that patience was being tested. Here in her office she was confronted with two third-year students who _once again_ had created a mess she now had to clean up.

"Alright" she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Let's take this one step at a time. _Why _by the grace of Azura did you think it was a good idea to smuggle a cursed Ayleid artifact into the College?"

The two troublesome male students looked at each other. Glurnt, a dark green-skinned orc, and Alain, a light-skinned breton human with brown hair. If Brelyna weren't Arch-Mage, she might have actually found their constant antics hilarious or nostalgic after all the nonsense she and her classmates had gotten up to back in the day.

Unfortunately for all involved, she _was_ the Arch-Mage.

"...We just wanted to study it" Alain said sheepishly.

She didn't buy it for a second. "And the reason you couldn't have just brought it through the proper channels?" Brelyna asked dryly, her eyebrow arched. The two students began to sweat. She continued, "You two do know there are _reasons_ we have rules, right? We grant you considerable freedom here, but we also have protections in place to prevent unfortunate circumstances. Such as, oh I don't know, _vengeful Ayleid ghosts_ which have currently taken up residence on the second floor of the student dorms? I'm going to have to send J'zargo up there later to drive them out before anyone can sleep tonight".

"...Sorry, Arch-Mage" they both muttered in unison, acting far more like chastised children than the young adult men they were. Yeah, that wasn't suspicious.

She sighed, "Fine, whatever. I don't want to know if this was supposed to be another prank or whatever. Do something like this again and I'll have no choice but to put you both on probation. Are we clear?"

Murmurs of affirmation gave Brelyna the approval she desired, "Good. Dismissed".

The two students got up and headed for the door. As they did, it opened and an old nordic man with snow white hair and robes stepped through. He stepped aside for the two students as they left, and then turned his attention to Brelyna.

"Ah, Onmund, now's not the best time-"

The old man gave a sheepish smile, "You know I wouldn't interrupt unless it was important" when the dunmer gave her Master-Wizard an expecting look he continued, "There's...someone here to see you, claiming to be from the Psijic Order".

She blinked. Oh.

..._Oh._

Brelyna sighed. It was definitely one of _those_ days.

* * *

Goddamn, this place was like a castle. It WAS a castle. Kyoko and Nagisa both found themselves in the College's main courtyard, and it was quite a shock to be someplace that looked somewhat _almost_ normal. You know, in the sense that the castle was made of bricks, the sky was blue, the snow was white, and there were people here who weren't dark elves. Sure, there were weird magical glowing things everywhere, but after the past few weeks that was minor shit.

(Kyoko had spent the whole first day on the ship after they'd left Red Mountain's ash cloud behind laying on the deck bathing in the sun, freezing temperatures be damned).

It was sunset; the sun had hidden itself away behind the distant mountains, and the sky's blue was quickly turning a deep purple as the last rays of light shone above the snowy range. As the daylight began to fade blue flickering magical energy emanating from small braziers that lined the circular walls of the courtyard began to take over the job of lighting up the area, as well as of course the central circular pit that threw a pillar of blue energy into the sky. The place was certainly ornate; blue stain glass windows, etchings on the groundwork half-covered by the snow—the central grey-stone building in front of them going up like five stories…

It was even located in a nearly impossible-to-reach place that was still visible for miles, atop a pillar jutting high above the icy sea, its only point of contact with the mainland being a narrow stone bridge that hovered helplessly over the abyss and looked like it was about to collapse at any second. It had been a bitch and a half getting up here; the pathway from the docks at the shore below to the city (really, a small town) on the cliff's ledge was a torturous climb and both girls had complained _relentlessly._

"So this is basically Hogwarts or whatever, right?" Kyoko mused idly, "I think I just need vampires and werewolves and I'll have a bingo on my scorecard".

Valtir didn't turn to face them, instead remaining impassive as he stared at the door to the main building, waiting, "Oh, they exist. Dangerous; hope you never have to deal with them".

"Ah, of course" Kyoko replied blandly, "Magical talking lions?"

"Senches, from Elsweyr. Though they're more tiger-like".

"Genies that grant wishes?"

"Usually daedra".

"Princes turned into frogs?"

"...Known to occasionally happen in High Rock".

"Yeah okay. Sure, why not".

After a short bit of waiting, a very tired-looking dark elf woman came out of the main hall out towards the courtyard. A somewhat exhausted but polite smile crept over her face when she saw her company.

"Valtir, what are the odds" she said pleasantly.

"Brelyna" Valtir replied, giving a slight bow, "I'm afraid I'm here on business rather than pleasure".

"As if I wasn't worried enough" she half-joked, then sighed, "How urgent is this? This isn't exactly the best time".

"Apologies for arriving without calling ahead, but the situation hasn't been ideal. I am afraid the situation is quite grave, though we can afford to wait a few days. In fact, I kind of require it".

Brelyna gave the older elf a hard look, "...An urgent situation...that's not time critical" she said with bemusement, folding her arms.

Valtir chuckled at that a bit "I have a bit of an odd request to ask of you".

"I'm listening".

"I would request that you allow us to use your College as a staging point of sorts. In three days time, three girls will arrive here looking for their friends" he motioned to Kyoko and Nagisa.

Brelyna gave the two akaviri girls a curious look, "...What's so important about them?"

Valtir gave a short haggard laugh, "_Everything_. I'm afraid it's a bit of a long story, but when the others arrive I will gladly tell it".

The dunmer nodded. She knew trying to force an issue with a Psijic Monk was futile. He'd reveal his reasons when the time was right, as infuriating as it was, "So you're requesting lodgings, then. A bit unorthodox, but simple enough that I can grant it. You'll have to wait a bit though, unless you'd like to try and sleep with Odilion the Fleshcarver howling up a storm".

Valtir blinked, "...The Ayleid king?"

Brelyna gave a tired laugh, "An experiment gone wrong. It's...also a long story. Come" she motioned to the group towards the main hall, "It's too cold out here".

The group moved inside, granting Kyoko and Nagisa their first view of the main hall. It was large an expansive, ringed by pillars and stretching two stories up, with the center being open so they could see the floors above them like balconies.

"Welcome to the College of Winterhold, the premier research and learning institution for magic in all of Skyrim" Brelyna said, with no small amount of pride.

"So there are other magic institutions in Skyrim now?" Valtir asked with a wry grin.

"And there's the wit" Brelyna snorted, "Fine, you caught me. Though we do still try to remain comparable with our peers in the other regions" she motioned to an old nord who was walking over to them. He seemed a bit brittle, yet still moved fairly well for someone who had to be pushing eighty or more. "Allow me to introduce Onmund, my second. He'll handle any requests. I'd stay, but I need to help J'zargo root out an angry Ayleid ghost king. Please excuse me".

The dunmer quickly exited the hall, while Onmund gave the trio an awkward smile before clapping his hands together, "So uh...who's hungry?"

* * *

The teachers' dorm tower (the 'Hall of Countenance', as it had been called) was much like a smaller version of the main hall, except with bedrooms and small studies ringing the central room. The girls and Valtir had been led to the second floor, where a table full of food lay before them meant for the college staff on-the-go. Fruit, pastries, meat, cheese...anything and everything that could be considered finger food. Both girls' stomachs growled as they salivated.

Normal food. Normal goddamn food. Happier than she'd ever been in her life, Kyoko reached for an apple and in an almost cartoonish fashion devoured all but the core in but a few bites. Nagisa similarly started with the cheese and quickly began to make her way over to the desserts.

"Wow they um...they really eat, don't they?" Onmund asked Valtir as the chaos began, "I'll uh...have to get the cooks to bring up more".

The elf chuckled, "They didn't much care for the dunmer food on the way here".

The two girls froze mid-chew and glanced at Kyoko's food bag. It had been largely emptied on the way here, but there were still a few items they'd mostly gone out of their way to avoid the entire trip and wanted to touch even less now, mostly stuff like scrib jelley, raw trama root, and whatever nyx-hound legs were. They were awful. She wanted it gone.

But that would mean de-facto wasting food.

But there was better food here.

But the food in the bag was her responsibility.

But it was _awful._

But it was the principle of the thing!

But _trama root._

Her eyes shifted between the bag and the table in rapid succession as her expression became more and more despondent.

"Are...are you okay?" Onmund asked the redhead with concern, who had just gone from being on top of the world to what could only be described being on the verge of a nervous breakdown in a matter of seconds. Her breathing had become uneven, her pupils dilated, her palms sweaty. Onmund turned to Valtir, "...She's not having a stroke, is she?"

Kyoko let out a sad, angsty moan.

Nagisa laughed with a hint of mischievousness, "I think she's having a crisis of faith". When the old nord gave her an odd look, Nagisa took the bag from Kyoko and handed it to him, "I don't suppose you guys would have any room for dark elf stuff, huh?"

Onmund looked in the bag, "Er...sure. Brelyna might. Maybe. If you're sure, that is" he said, uncertain.

"NO PLEASE BY ALL MEANS I INSIST THANK YOU" Kyoko near-shouted in hopeful desperation as a weight lifted off her shoulders. Onmund shrugged and left the bag for the cooks when they came by again, while the girls resumed their impromptu feast in a way only hungry kids could.

* * *

As Mami had predicted, they arrived at Dawnstar right at...well, dawn.

Fitting.

The sun crested over the low mountains that ringed the far side of the port city. It was certainly the largest settlement the two girls had yet seen, even larger than Morthal. It didn't hold a candle to a modern city back home of course, but it was still easily capable of housing several thousand people. The city itself rounded a natural bay filled with ships of all shapes and sizes, and was slightly terraced from one ring of the city to the next as it led up into the surrounding mountains. Everything was white; snow had fallen overnight here, and as the first rays of the sun struck the city, everything from the landscape to the brown wooden buildings lit up dazzlingly brilliant.

Madoka took a deep relaxing breath, letting the steam waft from her mouth. For the first time since the hagraven attack, they both felt remotely safe and okay. There was just one more leg to this journey, and then they'd be in Winterhold.

Mami was...Mami. She hadn't spoken about the fight since she'd pulled herself together, and Madoka was pretty sure she wasn't going to. The blonde was a stone wall when she wanted to be.

"Any idea how to find a ship that will take us?" Madoka asked Mami, who was currently pulling Sayaka's cart as they'd switched out a few hours ago.

Mami stifled a yawn from a lack of sleep, "...Honestly I'm not sure. Is there a place you go to find out? Surely they don't expect you to just go up to each ship and ask" she paused, "...Right?"

Madoka shrugged.

The two walked the docks watching as people came and went, loading and offloading cargo, performing maintenance, or heading into town.

Up ahead they saw a fairly large ship like what you'd see out of a fairytail or a history book; wooden, with a large sail and decorative carvings on the side. It even had a mermaid carving on the front.

"Excuse me" Mami asked one of the dockworkers as the woman set down a box at the front of a pier, "We're sort of lost. How would we find a ship willing to take us where we need to go? Is there an office or someplace?"

The heavily-built nord woman looked down at the two girls with an odd expression, "...No, not really. You mostly just ask around, most any captain will take you onboard as long as you've got the money. Where are you headed?"

"Winterhold" Madoka said.

The woman sighed, "Ah, sorry, we're headed back to Solitude as soon as we finish dropping this cargo off and resupply, and that's in the other direction. However..." she looked up over at the next ship a pier over at a mid-sized fishing boat, "I think the old man next to us might be headed that way. He was complaining about something with the ice flows over there this time of year".

"...Oh" Mami said, both hers and Madoka's faces falling a bit at the thought of taking that ramshackle boat out into the open ocean, "...Thank you".

"Not a problem!"

"Hauti, I'm payin' you to work, not jaw with the locals!" the captain of the vessel said from his ship.

Hauti rolled her eyes, "Calm down Mero, I'm just giving directions. Take the mast out of your ass" she then grumbled to herself as she walked back towards the ship, "...give an imperial an inch and he thinks he's the Talos-damned emperor..."

Mami and Madoka made their way over to the next ship, the aforementioned fishing boat that looked like it had seen more than a few winters on the open ocean. At first they thought there wasn't anyone here, until they noticed someone on the boat itself, hunched over and obscured by the railings. He seemed to be grunting and mumbling to himself.

"Um...excuse me? Hello?" Mami asked.

The grumbling, irritated old man with a thick beard stood up, "What? What is it?!" he frowned grumpily at the two kids, "Who in Oblivion are you?"

"We um...I'm Mami Tomoe, and this is Madoka Kaname" Mami said, "We're looking for passage to Winterhold. I don't suppose you know anyone that-"

The old man cut her off with a wave of his hand, "Yeah, yeah, I'm going to Winterhold. Hop on".

Thrown off-balance by the sudden acceptance she wasn't even sure she wanted, Mami replied, "W-wait, what? No, I was just asking—no, I mean, don't you—are there other-"

"Other ships to Winterhold? At this time of year?" the man gave a sharp laugh, "Might be a few, but tryin' to navigate Winterhold's waters are dangerous any time of year, much less in winter. Heck, this is my last run for the year. You're welcome to try, but I'm leaving in a few minutes, and who knows how long you'd have to wait for someone else". He began to dig up the boat anchor.

"Do we have to pay you or..." Madoka trailed off.

"Pay?" the man paused, "Psh, what I need are deckhands. My last group wussed out, didn't want to risk getting shipwrecked by an iceberg. Damn solid-grounders, no sense of risk".

"...If it's so risky, why are you going?" Madoka asked.

The man gave them a grin, "Two words: Atmoran Swordfish! Lonesome and hard to catch, but right now they are at the peak of mating season, and wouldn't you know it, they think the ice flows and icebergs around Winterhold are prime mating locals! I get a fortune every season. 'Course I spend most of it on drink, but that's my business" he finished pulling the anchor up, "So, are you coming, or are you just going to stand there like a couple of piss ants?"

Not seeing much of an option, the two girls exchanged glances and then hesitantly stepped onto the boat, taking a moment to pull Sayaka's cart onboard.

"...What's with the dead girl?" the man asked.

"Not dead, sick" Madoka replied, slightly bashful at the man's nonchalance, "Her name is Sayaka. We're hoping the College can help".

"Not contagious, I hope".

Mami shook her head, "No, magical".

"Ah, curses, gotcha. Nasty business. Name's Igeford, but you can call me Iggy! Now, have either of you girls ever been on a boat before?"

The two girls shook their heads.

Iggy grunted with irritation, "What, do they not have boats in Akavir? How'd you get here?" when Mami moved to reply, Iggy again cut her off, "Nevermind, don't care. I guess I'll have to show you the ropes. I mean that literally, by the way".

The two girls blinked, "Uh..."

"What?" Iggy replied, grabbing the ropes to his small mast as he looked back at the girls, "I told you I was gonna put you to work. By the time we reach Winterhold, you're going to be fishing _masters_".

Even before the ship left the harbor, neither girl was entirely sure they hadn't made a terrible, terrible mistake.

* * *

In fact, they did _not_ become fishing masters. Or sailing masters. Or masters of any kind, really.

By the time they limped into port, Madoka had spent most of the past three days hanging her head over the side of the railing, unable to keep much of anything down. Imagine; a former goddess, an entity that had seen over the totality of creation, had rebuilt the cosmos in her image, and had sacrificed everything for the happiness of others, and she couldn't keep from getting seasick.

She swore to herself she was never getting on another boat ever again.

Mami had tried her best, of course. But at the end of the day, she was an upper-middle class city girl who despite moonlighting as a superhero just didn't have the stomach for...this. She was encrusted in sea-salt, her hair was rough and wild, she was tired and wet and _frozen,_ and she was pretty sure she'd never get the smell of fish out of her clothes.

She needed a shower.

Really, by the end of the first day Iggy had given up on both of them and was content to have them help with the basic grunt work; helping him pull nets, keeping the ship upright, steering, that sort of thing.

"Well, here we are" Iggy said as the boat rolled into port mid-afternoon, "Winterhold docks. You'll find the town up above".

Sure enough, there wasn't much to the 'town' where they were; a string of huts and buildings lined the narrow sandy coast along with a series of wooden piers, but behind them stood a massive wall of ice and rock that went straight up. Above the girls could see a castle sitting on a pillar, connected to the mainland by a narrow stone bridge. As for how to get up there, behind the port existed a seemingly endless series of stairs carved into the cliffside. Both frowned at the thought.

This was _not_ going to be fun.

"Thank you for your hospitality" Mami told Iggy, "I apologize for not being of more use".

"I suppose it's my fault" the old man grumbled, "I shouldn't have expected a pair of kids who hadn't even left land before to be all that useful. Live and learn".

Mami couldn't help but take that just a little personally, even if on some level she knew he hadn't meant it that way. Or maybe he did, it was hard to tell with Iggy.

The boat came to a halt and Iggy threw his anchor overboard before moving to tie his boat to the pier. Madoka gave one more dry heave before moving to collect her things—she looked particularly green-faced.

Mami sniffed herself before gagging, then followed Madoka as Iggy began to talk to the customs officer on duty; it seemed the two knew each other and so despite having come from Dawnstar and thus a separate kingdom, he was granted entry without much problem.

"And who are these girls you have with you?" the officer asked, in full city guard armor. He stood head to toe in chainmail with a cyan cloth sash on the front with the emblem of the Kingdom of Eastmarch on it; a bear's head. His face was obscured by a full-head helmet, and his height of six and a half feet implied he was probably a nord.

"Ah, some akaviri girls I picked up in Dawnstar" Iggy said, "Lousy fishermen. Decent enough girls though, I suppose".

"And what is your business here?" the guard asked them.

Mami and Madoka glanced over at Sayaka before Madoka replied, "Our friend is sick. A...curse, of sorts. We were hoping the college could help us".

"Hrmph, the College" the guard grunted, folding his arms in disdain before nodding his head to the castle above, "That'd be it up above, but good luck getting in there without prior permission. They're very particular about who they let in; not even the Jarl has permission. You might have wasted your time".

The expressions on the girls fell, disheartened as doubt creeped in. What if the College refused them entry? Wulf had vouched for them and had made them seem very helpful, but what if he was wrong?

"...I see" Mami muttered, looking worried.

Madoka grabbed Sayaka's cart, "If it's all the same, I'd still like to try".

The guard shrugged, "Be my guest, but don't get your hopes up. The College looks after its own and doesn't much care about what happens to the town. Anyway, welcome to Winterhold—but don't do anything dumb, because we'll be watching". With that, the guard turned and left, heading over to another boat that was docking.

"Thank you again" Mami told Iggy, giving a slight bow.

"Yeah yeah, whatever" the old man replied as he passed them by, walking towards a small tavern located just down the dock, "Keep your touchy-feeling to yourself. Imma go get drunk".

The two girls gave each other a shrug before heading for the staircase. Upon reaching it, they realized very quickly that the cart would by more of a hazard than a help and thus ditched it, grabbing everything they'd stored within it while Madoka slung Sayaka over her backside in a piggyback ride. They gave the nearly endless staircase one more glance before issuing a joint sigh of reluctance.

They began to climb.

* * *

The last few days in Winterhold had been fairly pleasant. Unlike Tel Mithryn, the inhabitants of the College were either friendly and helpful or left Kyoko and Nagisa alone. They'd had some light magic lessons, but other than that the two girls had mostly been left to their own devices.

It was rather weird but welcoming having really nothing to do. Freeing, yet slightly tedious. Serene, yet boring.

But then, after the past few weeks, 'boring' was just what the doctor ordered. Kyoko had attempted to get answers out of Valtir a few more times, but the altmer had stonewalled each and every time; he would remain silent beyond the bare basics of his mission until the others arrived. And he assured them, they would be arriving soon.

And so despite the welcome respite and relaxation, both girls were finding themselves with a growing sense of trepidation and dread. How would their reunion go? Would Madoka, Sayaka, and Mami hate them? Would they refuse to talk to them? Deep down, Nagisa knew that despite her worries and guilt, there wasn't a mean bone in Madoka's body.

But Mami? And _especially_ Sayaka? They knew how to hold grudges if they felt they'd been wronged. Mami's 'I'm disappointed in you' was legendary, and Sayaka could be nothing more than pure unadulterated spite if she felt like it. Kyoko and Nagisa had at times attempted to reassure the other, but at the end of the day there was nothing that could be done to undo the stress growing in the pit of their stomachs.

The clock was counting down, and they had been assured their friends would be here _today_.

The two girls had initially planned to hide away in various parts of the College, trying to get their mind off things for the time being. They'd loitered in the library (until Urag, the old Orc who served as the librarian had chased them out), hung out in the dorms (Brelyna had cleared out the angry ghosts later that first night), listened in on one of the higher-level courses on the school of Mysticism that one of the teachers was giving in the main hall (interesting, but most if it went right over the girls' heads), and even tried building a snowman out on the College roof before it had devolved into a snowball fight. At one point they'd even headed into town before they remembered that, oh right, Winterhold had absolutely nothing of interest to offer at all.

But now though in mid-late afternoon as the sun began to consider descending, the two girls had run out of things to do and the stress and lack of patience had forced them out into the courtyard, where they sat on the steps leading to the main hall...waiting. Kyoko was fidgeting nervously, while Nagisa kept walking in circles. Neither paid much attention to the other.

* * *

Madoka felt like she was about to _die._ And considering she knew exactly what it was like to die more than possibly anyone except maybe the girl she was currently carrying, she was being _entirely accurate_.

After reaching the top of the cliffside the girls had collapsed on the ground and taken a few minutes to catch their breath, wondering how normal people could possibly manage to climb that. Who thought that staircase was a good idea!? But the College still beckoned, and with the slim promise of healing Sayaka danging in front of them, the two girls pressed on.

"Sorry, access to the College is restricted to non-members. Did you have an appointment?" the guard at the front of the bridge asked them.

"I—no" Madoka began, "But our friend-"

"Then I'm sorry, but you cannot pass" the guard said, cutting her off, "Enchantment and healing services are offered at 'The Frozen Hearth' during normal business hours".

"...Oh" Madoka said, her hopes being crushed in one fell swoop. They'd come all this way and were being turned away, just like that, "I see".

"Surely you can make an exception" Mami interceded, "Please, our friend has a curse on her, we were told you could help".

The guard sighed in irritation, "I don't know what you heard, but the College is not a charity house. It is a place of research, and we can't just let the masses in to such a delicate environment. I'm sorry, but the rules are rules. If we let you in, we'd have to let everyone in".

Mami looked about ready to make another push, but relented when Madoka grasped her arm. The blonde looked back at her, seeing a girl with a-near broken expression, but was still resolute about not cracking here at this moment, "Let's...let's just go" she said, "We can...we can do what he said and check the Frozen Hearth".

Mami's expression softened, her heart breaking a little.

"I'm sure you can make an exception for them" another voice said. The group turned to see another figure on the bridge—an elf in a robe, "These three are guests on my behalf".

The guard looked at the Psijic Monk, then back at the trio of girls, "Fine, whatever. Who am I to stand in the way of the Psijic Order. Very well, you may enter". He stood aside, allowing Madoka and Mami entry.

"...Thank you so much" Madoka said to the elf, wiping away her barely-formed tears, "Mr..."

The elf chuckled as he led them over the long, narrow bridge, "You can call me Valtir. I've been expecting you".

"Expecting us?" Mami asked quizzically, "How?"

"Did Wulf tell you we were coming?" Madoka asked, equally confused.

"...Wulf?" Valtir muttered in thought, before he seemed to draw a conclusion he kept to himself, "...No, No. Long story short, I work for a monastic order known as the Psijic Order, and we have tasked ourselves with the safety and well-being of this plane of existence we call Nirn. We noticed your arrival and have been working to assist you" he glanced at the blue-haired girl, "...Is she not well?"

"She..." Madoka hesitated, "Another...friend of ours did something to her, we're not sure what. We came here to try and find help, but we don't know if they can".

"Hmm" the monk frowned, "Another complication. No matter, we will do our best to get her back to full health. And after that, I have many, many important things to tell you. But first..." they arrived at the entrance of the College, "...I expect you have important people who have been waiting for you".

"...Important?" Mami asked, "Who are you-" she froze. There, on the other side of the courtyard, stood a very familiar redhead and white-haired girl, equally frozen in place. Madoka likewise stood silent, emotions boiling up within her, each fighting for dominance as she set her eyes on people she was afraid she would never see again.

"...I will give you a few moments" Valtir said, wisely extracting himself from the situation.

An uncomfortable, pregnant silence descended over the courtyard as each girl fought with herself, trying to make sense of things. Nagisa looked away in shame, Kyoko waited for the inevitable lecture even as she fought back her own tears, Mami seemed unsure of what to do at all, and Madoka was doing all she could to keep from breaking down right then and there.

It was Mami who cracked first. She rushed over to Kyoko and Nagisa, the former of whom prepared to assume a combat stance as she prepared for the possibility physical lashing out instead of a verbal one that she'd assumed. But instead of a punch or a slap, Mami wrapped herself around both girls with every inch of her strength, forcibly dragging Kyoko down to the ground so she could grab Nagisa as well.

"...Oh my god" she said with a shuddering breath, just before she broke entirely, "_oh my god"._

Kyoko let go of the flood dam next, followed shortly by Nagisa as Madoka approached the group, hesitant to join in as much as she _desperately _wanted to. Mami saw this however, and invited her in. Immediately, Madoka gently set Sayaka down and threw herself into the group hug, breaking down and sobbing just as much as the others. Kyoko noticed Sayaka; still just as comatose and ill-looking as she'd been before the End. A twinge of guilt surfaced, followed by conflicting emotions for Homura, before her thoughts were simply overwhelmed by what was going on in her arms as she pushed herself tighter into the hug.

Right now it didn't matter what any of them had done, it didn't matter what disagreements they had, it didn't matter what they had lost. Nothing mattered except that they were all alive, and they'd found each other again.

They sat there for a few moments, saying nothing as they let catharsis and relief take their course.

Then, after a moment Nagisa sniffed the air after catching a whiff of something.

"...Why do you guys smell like fish?"


	8. 1x07: Do you trust me?

**CHAPTER SEVEN: DO YOU TRUST ME?**

* * *

Brelyna stared down at the gold and dark item on the desk with intense interest. The dunmer leaned back in her chair, a million thoughts racing through her head. Childlike curiosity was turned aside by the pragmatic methodical system she'd conditioned herself into over the years however, in order to keep from being overwhelmed. She would consider each implication in turn over the next few days.

The group had assembled in the Arch-Mage's personal quarters on the top level of the College. It was a wide, expansive chamber, circular like virtually every other room and lined with bookshelves, tables, charts, artifacts, and numerous other magical and scientific instruments. Behind her desk in the center of the room was a small garden of planets she used for alchemy, and behind _that_ was a wall that separated her sleeping area from the rest of the chamber.

"...So it's a permanent phylactery" she considered, leaning back in her chair slightly, "You're all liches, but without any of the downsides". Testing something, she waved a detect life spell over the four girls who sat across from her. When it did nothing, she cast another spell this time detect dead, and the girls immediately lit up in a soft glow that lingered for a few seconds. They were mildly alarmed, but the Arch-Mage calmed them down, "Don't worry, it's just a detection spell. So...you really _are_ all undead. Technically speaking, at least".

"...Some of us more than others" Madoka said with a hint of embarrassment. The girls sat in chairs on the other side of the desk, each comfortably spaced from the others. The heartfelt and tearful reunion from a few hours ago had cooled, leaving behind the uncomfortable feelings everyone still held. Of note, Kyoko sat between Nagisa and Mami. It hadn't been intentional, but it was still a clear sign not everything was sunshine. Madoka sat a bit further away than the others, isolated and clearly embroiled in her own problems mostly unrelated to the latent Mami/Kyoko/Nagisa drama. Sayaka for her part lay on a table along the far wall that had been cleared off for her.

Upon arrival, both Madoka and Mami had been directed to the baths, and now a few hours later the whole group was fed and clothed in College robes.

"Did you bring what I asked?" Valtir asked Brelyna. He stood a few feet away, examining a star chart on the wall.

The dunmer gave him a dry look, "We're in my personal quarters, Valtir". She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a misshapen chunk of purple crystal about the size of her fist and set it down on the table, "This is a soul gem".

The girls looked down at the rock next to Sayaka's gem.

"…Um..." Madoka muttered, unsure of what to make of this.

Kyoko's eyes narrowed, "...No it's not".

Brelyna ignored the redhead, "We use soul gems in enchanting. When an animal dies, its departing soul can be pulled into the gem and its energy used to fuel an enchantment on an item, such as a sword or an amulet. Certain soul gems can also be used on higher-level beings such as humans or elves, but it's..._generally_ frowned on. Normally speaking, the higher-ranking a creature, the more magic their soul can provide".

Nagisa gulped, the sudden revelation making her far less certain about pursuing the concept, "Wait, you harvest souls for magic?" The idea sounded far, _far_ too close to what the Incubators did, and the idea did not sit well wit her.

"They're animals" Brelyna said, "It's no worse than hunting them for food or pelts".

Madoka was also frowning, but for a different reason, "...And what happens when the soul gem runs out of magic?" she asked quietly.

Brelyna shrugged, "It's used up and the gem breaks. Why?"

"So you don't have witches here?"

"Like...wild mages?" the dunmer asked, confused as to where this was going, "I mean sure, but-"

Madoka, somewhat uncharacteristically, cut her off, "No. I mean..." she paused to consider her words. How to explain a witch? "...What exactly happens to a soul when it's used up?"

"It's taken" Valtir answered, "If it was a white soul, like an animal, then it returns to the dreamsleeve to be reincarnated. If it was a black soul, a sentient being, then either by the Daedric Prince the soul was bound to, or more often to the Soul Cairn, a shadowy realm ruled by the Ideal Masters".

"'Ideal Masters'?" Mami asked.

The altmer shrugged, "A mysterious group, probably ascended mages who achieved a sort of godhood. They consider the use of soul gems to be a sort of pact, and claim souls who have been used up".

"...Like a contract" Madoka mused, putting the pieces together in her mind. So this world had its own bizarre Law of Cycles analogue, even if it wasn't as benevolent.

Brelyna coughed politely as she took he reigns of the conversation, "We're getting off topic. Now, for us soul gems are one-way. Once a soul is taken from the host body, that's it, it's done. The soul cannot communicate with the body and the body dies if it hasn't already. But yours...has some sort of psychic connection?"

Kyoko grimaced, "I uh...ended up being a bit of a guinea pig for Neloth. He put some sort of 'silence' spell over my gem and cut my connection for a few seconds".

The dunmer digested this, "...Interesting. It makes sense, I suppose. So we know your connection can be disrupted".

"One hundred meters is about as far as we can get from our gem before our body shuts down and begins to decay" Madoka added.

"But Sayaka's body is still...well, 'alive'. She has a pulse and is breathing" Mami said.

Madoka nodded, "The only other time I've seen this was-" Madoka froze in a fit of sudden inspiration. Her eyes went wide as she slapped her forehead, "Oh, I'm an _idiot_" she exclaimed.

"Wha-" Mami gasped as Madoka nearly tipped her chair over when she jumped to her feet and reached for Sayaka's gem.

Madoka grasped the gem, looking it over, "It's so simple! Ah, if only I had a way I could tell or not..."

"Tell _what?"_ Mami asked, very confused. The other two girls were equally lost...at least until Nagisa's eyes also widened as she hit the same page as Madoka.

"...An isolation field".

_That_ got the other girls' attentions. Mami's perplexed expression only got moreso, "But odd colors aside, Sayaka's gem looks fine. Didn't the Incubators need some sort of infrastructure to pull off what they did to Homura?"

"The odd colors _are _the isolation field! Homura was a god" Madoka replied, still looking over the gem, "If I had wanted to, I probably could have done the same thing, I just...never thought about it, I guess. All Homura would have had to do would be to somehow invert Sayaka's telepathic connection". It was so easy, so elegant. Madoka mentally kicked herself for not seeing this earlier, legitimately a little angry at her apparent denseness. Of _course_ Homura would have done this after seeing the Incubators do it. Of _course._

At this, Kyoko gave a loud and almost hysterical laugh as the implications set in, "Oh...oh my god, are you fucking _kidding_ me?!"

"Kyoko, this is serious" Mami chastised her, then turned back to Madoka, "So how do we get her out?"

The redhead continued her biting giggle as she sat up and stopped leaning in her chair. She unfolded her leg and set both down on the ground as she turned to Mami, "Okay, so, I know I'm not the smartest person here and I'm just a lowly mortal or whatever, so if you guys could help guide me through this, that'd be great. So like, the Incubators decide to trap Homura in an isolation field because they're a bunch of dicks, right? But then their whole plan goes to shit and it causes Homura to apparently become _the literal devil_ or whatever" she nearly eyerolled at the sheer amount of melodrama, "I got that right so far, right?" she looked around to the hesitant nods of affirmation.

"Where are you going with this?" Madoka asked.

Kyoko snorted in amusement, "So...okay, so Sayaka gets all up in Homura's shit and won't stop, right? For whatever reason, Homura can't keep her memories wiped. And you're telling me Homura's big ingenious, master plan of plans to fix this is to…put Sayaka in the same damn isolation field?"

"...The very thing that caused her to ascend in the first place" Mami said, a wry smile forming on her lips as she too found some dark humor in the situation. The irony and Homura's seeming obliviousness, combined with the amusing image of Sayaka accidentally ascending with a confused Homura looking on were just too perfect, despite Sayaka's current condition.

"That...sounds like Homura, actually" Nagisa admitted.

"It's _classic_ Homura" Kyoko affirmed, "This is the girl who can't stand being asked for directions on the street by strangers, but won't hesitate to _break in_ and wake me at four in the morning to tell me the she has to cancel our afternoon plans. Goddamn hopeless dork".

Madoka walked over to Sayaka's body, still cradling her gem, "...We thought she was asleep all this time, but instead she's been trapped in her gem, suffering. We have to get in there somehow".

Nagisa considered this as she bunched up her legs in the chair and put her chin over her knees, "...Homura's labyrinth was intentionally pulling people in. But Sayaka hasn't shown any signs of that".

Madoka shook her head, "Oktavia was always far more isolated than Homulily ever was; she never noticed the outside world. And anyway, the situation's not quite the same. I took Sayaka into the Law of Cycles, so she's _already_ a witch in a sense".

Valtir walked over to Madoka, "There may be a way in". When everyone gave him undivided attention he continued, "There have been a handful of times where someone has had to go into a soul gem for a particular reason. Usually in such cases they constructed a magical tether from their soul to their body, as well as had a second person to reel them back out when the job was done. It's extremely dangerous,, though I'm sure you know that".

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Kyoko said as she got up and headed over to Madoka and Valtir, "Let's go get Sayaka!" Preferably _before_ she turned into a wrathful god of vengeance or whatever.

"Not so fast" the altmer said as Mami and Nagisa followed the redhead, "Like I said, this is dangerous. Soul gems are brittle, and soul connections are hard to maintain. If the tether snaps, you could be lost in there forever, if not launched into the void altogether".

Kyoko gave him a hard glare, "You think I give a shit? I'm not going to let her just waste away, I'll take that risk".

Valtir put up his hands in a calming gesture, "I'm not saying you can't. The problem is that not all of you can go. I feel comfortable sustaining two tethers; any more courts danger".

"Well I'm going to be one of them" Kyoko stated, eying the others and _daring_ them to argue. Neither Mami or Nagisa felt that they should.

"...Me too" Madoka said with quiet determination, placing Sayaka's gem in the bluenette's hands. She turned to Valtir, "When can we start?"

* * *

Ultimately, the group had decided on one of the spare rooms in the staff dorms to perform their work in. It was a tight for such a small room; seven people, and three of them now lay on the bed clustered together. Sayaka was in the center, with Kyoko and Madoka on either side. Their soul gems had all been removed and placed together, touching one another on the nightstand where Valtir sat, preparing his spell. Mami had taken residence in another chair on the other side of the bed, while Nagisa had settled on the floor next to her, kneeling over the side of the bed. Lastly, Brelyna stood impassively just outside the door, curious to see how this would unfold.

"A warning; this spell was designed for normal people" Valtir told them, "I'm...not exactly sure how it will react with your phylacteries. I've never attempted to tether multiple soul gems together before. I don't think anyone has, in fact".

"I'm sure you can do it" Madoka said, flashing him a smile, "We know it's possible both on our end and yours".

"Please, be careful" Mami told both her and Kyoko. Worry was etched on her face; she didn't say anything, but the thought of losing more people, especially after just getting them back, terrified her, "I mean it".

Kyoko gave the blonde a confident thumbs up, "Don't worry. We got this, right Madoka?" The pinkette gave another reassuring smile and Kyoko turned back to Mami, "We'll grab Sayaka and be back in time for dinner".

"...I'll hold you to that" Mami half-joked, trying her best to remain upbeat.

"We'll be back, I promise" Madoka told her.

Valtir looked at the girls on the bed, "Are you ready?"

Madoka took a deep, steadying breath as she mentally prepared herself. Despite what she'd said, this was still an unknown; she didn't know how Tamrielic magic was going to interact with their souls, and she wasn't in control here anymore. Steeling herself, she nodded, "Do it".

Valtir began to work his magic over the three soul gems on the table. They began to glow in their respective colors, and then…

And then Madoka and Kyoko weren't there anymore.

* * *

The feeling was disorienting and dizzying, and far, _far_ rougher than entering Homura's mindscape had been. For Madoka, that had been like slipping into a good night's sleep; she'd gone in, and woken up as her mortal self in a dream. Here it was more like that jolt you'd sometimes feel just before falling asleep that made you feel like you were falling, except here it was ongoing and coming from multiple directions.

But soon enough the feeling subsided, and as Madoka opened her eyes...her heart fell.

All around, she was surrounded by the ruins of Mitakihara; ruined buildings, debris that used to be roads and signs, a yellow-gray overcast sky granting a gentle rain, and she herself stood in several centimeters of murky, filthy water. It looked like a bomb had gone off. A lot of bombs.

She knew exactly what this was.

"...Oh, I have _missed_ you" Kyoko said to her weapon, garbed in her magical girl outfit as she twirled her spear around effortlessly in her hand. She began changing its length, "Shorter, longer. Shorter, longer. To hell with Tamriel magic. Bunch of overcomplicated bullshit".

"Kyoko" Madoka chastised in amusement, repressing a giggle. She was also in her magical girl form, with her bow at her side.

The redhead gave Madoka a cheeky grin, "Heh" her expression dropped, "…So where are we? Homura's fantasy world was way nicer than this. Don't tell me this is Sayaka's".

Madoka shook her head, "No, it's not. I know this place, and it's not one of Sayaka's".

Kyoko looked at her in concern, "What do you mean? Where are we?" She saw the other girl's expression become troubled, hesitant, "...Madoka?"

She looked at Kyoko, "...These are Homura's memories".

The redhead almost laughed as she idly twirled her spear again, "Of _what_?" then she realized exactly what Madoka was saying, remembering what few things Nagisa had told her back on Solstheim, "...Wait. You don't mean...this is from the prior universe, isn't it?"

Madoka nodded in dismay, "This is where everything ended...and where it all began" she looked up at the ruined skyline that had graced a few too many of her own nightmares, "..._Walpurgisnacht_".

* * *

The room was nearly silent. Mami sat quietly, focused on the three sleeping girls in front of her. Valtir remained focused on his work, almost in a trance himself. Nagisa fidgeted on the floor, worried yet bored as only a nine year old could be. Brelyna was outside, steering people away from the room.

Mami hated this. She hated just sitting here not able to do anything. She'd let Kyoko and Madoka go, of course. They had better claim on Sayaka than she, how could she deny them the chance to rescue their friend? But Sayaka and Kyoko had both been her students. As much as she had failed them, they were her responsibility. And after everything that had happened, Madoka as well, despite not knowing her for very long.

And there wasn't anything she could do.

Nagisa's attention meanwhile was diverted when she looked where the Arch-Mage was, and saw a human cat person talking to her. Her eyes went wide as saucers at her first glimpse of a real-life khajiit. With a small gasp she found herself getting up.

Mami grabbed her by the back of her robes before she got very far, intending to nip a very embarrassing and potentially rude situation in the bud, "No".

"But-"

"You're not petting him".

"I wasn't going to-" Nagisa halted when Mami gave her a _look_, "...Okay, maybe a little" Mami's _look_ continued, "I'll...sit back down now". Nagisa made the correct choice and returned to the floor, but continued to steal glimpses of the cat man until he left, leaving a slightly bemused Brelyna behind.

"Is the only reason you came back to the College to annoy me, J'zargo?" the Arch-Mage called after the cat person, though her tone was less biting and more of one old friend giving another shit.

J'zargo seemed to almost smile as he walked away towards the stairwell, giving off a self-confident swagger, "Perhaps, among other reasons. J'zargo has many reasons for what he does".

Brelyna rolled her eyes before glancing back at Mami and Nagisa as they hastily turned their attentions back to the bed once they'd been caught eavesdropping. She gave a short laugh, "Don't mind him, that's just J'zargo, Master in the Destruction school and ever-present pain in my ass".

The conversation, such as it had been, died for a moment before Brelyna's eyes darted to the trio of soul gems, "...Say, where did you get your soul gems anyway? They're clearly artificial".

A tense beat shifted between the two girls as they looked at each other and then back at the Arch-Mage. Mami replied, "...A race known as the Incubators. I don't suppose you've had any run ins with them" when Brelyna shook her head, Mami continued, "They would grant one wish, and in return they pulled your soul out of your body".

"It was part of a method of reversing entropy" Nagisa said, "The Incubators were trying to extend the life of our universe".

"...And where did these Incubators come from?"

Nagisa frowned at the question, "...Honestly? We don't really know. They were just always kind of there, their civilization just _appeared_. Madoka assumed they were just something the universe came up with to regulate itself, like the wraiths".

"Wraiths?" asked Brelyna.

"Monsters that we fought" Mami said, "They fed off human emotion".

"Hmm" the Arch-Mage mused, disappointed they hadn't had more information. She relented though; no use getting blood from a stone. And at any rate, the girls' attentions were drifting back to their friends.

* * *

Madoka and Kyoko wandered the ruined streets of the hollow shell that had once been Mitakihara. A soft drizzle fell down around them as they moved through a labyrinth in more than one sense of the term; this Mitakihara was a genuine maze, and the two girls had no idea where they were.

"...I'd say we passed that building three times, but I _also_ know it was facing a different direction before" Kyoko said flatly, "Where exactly are we trying to go?"

Madoka looked around with a sigh, "Homura must have really wanted Sayaka locked away. Labyrinths, even passive ones, are usually for luring people in, not actively keeping them out".

The redhead had an idea, "...How about a change in scenery?" she asked, looking up at the rooftop of a nearby building. Madoka followed her train of thought. The two nodded to each other and leaped up onto the roof, before jumping to the next highest building and so on until they were high enough they could see above most of the skyline.

"Anything?" Kyoko asked, looking around.

"Over there!" Madoka pointed. Far in the distance was a large clearing of buildings; the epicenter where Walpurgisnacht would have fallen to Madoka's suicide attack. Except instead of the witch of gears and stages, or even worse Madoka's own erased alter-ego, there above the epicenter in midair hung a very familiar mermaid in plated armor. It was strung up and chained to the surrounding buildings, unable to move any further from its spot. And all around were its guards; a number of white abstract geometric designs.

Three Satori-class wraiths, extremely powerful entities that could take on a whole group of magical girls, hung like silent sentinels. They were consistently trying to move in on the witch but Oktavia, despite being bound and partially immobilized, continued to fend the trio off with her swords.

"...That's not good" Kyoko muttered.

"We need to get to her, come on!" Madoka said, breaking into a spring as she crossed over to the next building.

"H-hey, wait up!" the redhead said, following.

Now that they knew where she was, the rest of the journey didn't take very long. They jumped from rooftop to rooftop until they arrived at the epicenter, and saw that the mermaid was not just chained, but also tethered by white strands of energy reaching down to…

...Sayaka!

She was also in her magical girl outfit and laying splayed out, half-submerged in the murky water. She herself was also trapped; pinned to the ground by a number of large sewing needles the size of arrows all along her legs, arms, and even her cape.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko leaped down, ignoring the wraiths above who were far more focused on the witch as she rushed over to her counterpart as fast as she could. The redhead then dropped to her knees, reaching for Sayaka's shoulder, "Sayaka? Come on girl, wake up".

"...Kyoko?" the bluenette mumbled somewhat incoherently, cracking her eyes open at the sound of Kyoko's voice.

Kyoko's reaction wasn't quite a laugh, but nor was it quite a choked sob as she cradled Sayaka's head, "Hey, I'm here. It's going to be alright".

"I don't...are you real?" Sayaka asked, still mumbling.

"Of course I'm real, what sort of question is that?!"

"I don't know anymore" Sayaka shuddered, "Everything's so fuzzy and I can't...I can't anymore..." She looked very unwell; her skin was pale, her form was gaunt, and the bags under her eyes made it look as though she hadn't slept in weeks.

Which, considering how long she had been in here, may not have been far from the truth.

"...You don't look so good" Kyoko muttered.

Sayaka coughed, "...I don't _feel_ so good".

Madoka arrived, "...Sayaka?"

"Hey Madoka" muttered Sayaka with regret as her eyes closed again, "Sorry...I think I messed up real bad this time".

"You didn't mess up" Madoka said reassuringly as she knelt down next to Kyoko, "You did just fine. I'm sorry I took so long".

"Did...did we win?" Sayaka asked hopefully. She tried to give a smile, but it came out more as a pained grimace.

The other two girls shared an uncomfortable glance. Madoka answered, "Not...exactly. We'll explain when we get you out of here".

Kyoko began pulling out the needles, "...What is all this? What the hell was Homura doing to you?!"

Sayaka laughed bitterly which shifted into a cough, "She...I really got under her skin, you know? Kept shrugging off her mindwipes, kept making a mess of things. The last time Kyubey woke me up, and I think that _really _unsettled her. I don't think she knew what to do with me so...she finally got fed up and trapped me in here. Pinned me down so I wouldn't find a way out out and then threw a few wraiths in here to keep me busy. Said that I needed to…'learn to be thankful for what she'd given me' and that maybe I'd learn some humility". She'd called it a 'time out'; Sayaka sneered at the intentional blow to her ego.

Kyoko looked up at the opposing wraiths with bafflement and distaste, "She threw Satori wraiths in here?!"

Sayaka shook her head, "They were normal wraiths at first. A handful, I think. I think they were set to a loop, enough to keep me too busy to try and free myself. But then they got worse pretty quickly. I never saw her again; pretty sure she just left me here to die. Or maybe she was just watching me and turning up the difficulty" another cough. Sayaka thought back to her last meeting with the demon as she sighed shakily, "She...she called me a burden. Called me a lot of things, actually. Said that if I wanted to 'play hero' so bad, she'd let me do it here where I couldn't hurt anyone. So the wraiths keep attacking and I have to keep fighting them off. They won't let me rest and I can't go after them. They keep eating away at me and they keep getting more and more powerful".

At first she'd scoffed and blustered at Homura; she knew Mami, Kyoko, and Tart were all ready to go, and once they'd freed Madoka they'd come for her. But then no one ever came—not even Homura, and the wraiths began to reproduce on their own as they fed off Sayaka's psyche. Sayaka had started to lose hope of rescue; maybe Homura had won, and maybe she'd decided to just leave her here, forever. She shuttered at the thought. And as those dark thoughts had begun to propagate, the wraiths began to grow exponentially—a positive feedback loop.

But here, now, she was talking to people, actual real people, after god knew how long of having nothing around but herself and the wraiths –physical manifestations of grief who were slowly feeding on her emotions and sanity- and it was almost too much to bare. She still wasn't entirely convinced she wasn't just making all of this up, that she wasn't just hallucinating, "How...how long have I been in here?"

"A few weeks" Madoka said with shame as she helped Kyoko finish pulling up the last of the needles, "I'm sorry I'm so late. I should have figured out what was wrong awhile back. It's all my fault".

Weeks. She'd been in here for literal _weeks._ Even in a place where time had seemingly stopped having meaning, that was a bit of a shock.

Sayaka shook her head, "I should have been better. It's my fault. Mine and...Homura's" Sayaka spat the name with venom as Kyoko pulled her onto her lap. Sayaka put her face in her hands, "This is all on her". The demon. Always the demon.

"I doubt she meant to leave you in here this long" Madoka said sadly, "...A _lot_ of things have...happened".

"Oh good, that makes me feel all better" Sayaka said with a bitter sneer, "Whoopsie-daisy, she only planned to have wraiths torture me for day or two. An honest mistake".

Madoka recoiled a bit, but tried not to take Sayaka's bite personally; something which Sayaka saw and instantly regretted. She wasn't mad at Madoka, honest, "Sorry, I didn't mean...I just want to go home. Please". Kyoko hugged her a bit tighter as Sayaka's voice cracked a bit.

Kyoko gave Madoka a glare, her voice cold, "If I see Homura again I am going to smash her _fucking face_ in". Madoka flinched but didn't say anything to that. What _could_ she say? Give off some half-hearted excuse like before? This was...this was...oh, Homura. Why?

"Come on" Kyoko threw Sayaka's arm around her shoulders and hoisted the other girl up; a bit of a feat considering Sayaka was slightly taller, but she still managed, "Let's get you out of here".

"You guys don't know how happy I am to see you" Sayaka shuddered, gripping Kyoko as tightly as possible, if for no other reason to continue to reassure herself that this was real, that they were here, and that she wasn't just hallucinating the whole thing. That she wouldn't just wake up back in Homura's void, bound and waiting to have her mind unwillingly hollowed out for the fourth time. She wasn't sure if she could do that again.

Madoka stood up as well, forcing herself to focus on the problem at hand, "We need to break the isolation field".

"Free Oktavia" Sayaka said, her voice a little firmer now. She pointed up at her other self, "Do that and I can take care of the rest".

"Done" Kyoko gently handed Sayaka off to Madoka, then resummoned her spear to her hand. It grew longer and longer, before the spear broke apart into segmented chains. Then with an enraged battle cry, Kyoko swung the giant weapon across the would-be city block in a single wide sweep, smashing the blade into each chain holding the witch above down in turn until they were all gone. Kyoko gave Sayaka a cocky smile, "Do your thing".

Sayaka returned the smile, as shaky as it was, then focused. With a guttural roar, Oktavia shook herself free of the tattered remains of Homura's prison, the otherworldly chains dropping into the water below.

Unfortunately, the wraiths had sensed that the situation had changed, and while they'd been mostly content to remain hovering just out of reach of Oktavia before, now they began to circle, plotting their attack now that their victim threatened to escape. Worse, the miasma exuded by the wraiths began to thicken and contort; shadowy figures began to form from the unearthly mist on the water.

"...That's not good" Kyoko muttered, brandishing her spear as she stepped backwards towards the others, "Looks like we shook the hive!"

Madoka looked around at the army of basic-level wraiths beginning to emerge around them, "...How many wraiths did you say Homura brought in here again?"

"A handful of baselines" Sayaka muttered darkly, "...They've been feeding on me for awhile".

"Can you fight?" Madoka asked. Sayaka attempted to stand up, but she quickly fell back onto Madoka, panting heavily from just that slight amount of effort. She had simply been too weakened by the constant assault.

"That's a 'no', then" Kyoko said with a bit of worry as Madoka gently set the bluenette down, leaning her against a pile of rubble as she and Kyoko prepared to defend.

"...Huh" Madoka mused as she drew her bow.

"...Hm?" Kyoko asked, putting herself back-to-back with the pinkette, her spear at the ready.

Madoka shook her head with the slightest hint of amusement, "Nothing just...I just realized I've never fought wraiths before".

Kyoko flashed her a grin and a thumbs up, "Just watch my back and enjoy the fireworks!"

The army moved in. Above, Oktavia went on the attack, charging into the nearest Satori wraith with her swords. She gutted the floating ghostly chest and rended it apart as the whole rest of the abstract structure began to dissolve into smoke. She wasn't able to savor her victory however, as the second Satori rammed into her from the side, driving the witch into the water before landing on top of her. Instantly Oktavia's armor began to rust and corrode even as she tried to pull herself out of the trap she'd been thrown into. The other Satori moved in, its floating polygons beginning to glow as they charged up to fire.

A wheel came flying in from out of nowhere, knocking the opposing wraith from its firing position and giving Oktavia the chance it needed to free itself.

Down on the ground, Kyoko cut and slashed, burning through the foot soldiers as quickly as she could while Madoka backed her up by vaporizing any that got too close with her bow. A number of wraiths lined up and opened fire on Kyoko. Too late to counter or evade, the redhead braced for impact—only to be surprised when the laser beams bounced off a pink magical sigil that had interceded between herself and the incoming projectiles. Kyoko turned back to Madoka, who gave a reassuring grin, just before Kyoko swung and decapitated a number of wraiths that were flanking the other girl. The two continued back-to-back, with Madoka raining arrows of light in every direction while Kyoko kept up her guard, dancing around Madoka like a dervish. Another barrage of lasers came in, which the redhead blocked with a flashy twirl of her weapon.

The army was endless, but the two girls seemed to be holding their own.

...And then some of the wraiths began to shift and merge, and the first Sugen class wraiths appeared on the battlefield. They floated above the rank and file, hovering stoically as the javelins they carried ignited and bronze swords emerged from their disconnected, floating palms.

"We got incoming!"

The javelins came flying, with the sword-wielding hands right behind them.

This time it was Oktavia who saved the day. Three giant wheels swung in, cutting through the barrage and crushing the rank-and-file as they rampaged through the enemy lines.

"Kyoko" Sayaka wheezed. The redhead turned to see Sayaka extending her hand, "...I could use some help".

Seeing Oktavia still pinned by one of the Satoris, Kyoko gladly grabbed Sayaka's hand and with a burst of red magic Oktavia's sword morphed into a long, red spear. It segmented, wrapping around the opposing wraith along its midsection. With a heave, the witch pulled the wraith off and threw it into the side of a ruined building before re-aligning the spear and sending it hurdling through the air into the Satori.

"Two down...one to go" Sayaka grunted as Oktavia got back up. Her armor was rusty and broken from the wraith's corruption, but it quickly regrew like scales on a fish as she turned to face the last Satori. The wraith pushed itself backwards as if pondering a retreat, but Oktavia wasn't going to give it that chance.

Instead of retreating however, the monster began to glow and exude miasma as its floating, disordered polygons rearranged themselves into a more stable and organized pattern.

"...Uh, guys?" Sayaka asked with increasing worry as the Satori absorbed many of the surrounding wraiths into itself, the miasma becoming thicker and thicker, now beginning to obscure the city skyline. The floating torso of the entity dissolved, glitching out and disassembling into geometric patterns. The last would-be human bits of the wraith vanished entirely as what was left of the army was absorbed, and soon hovering in front of the three magical girls and the mermaid witch was a giant glowing star-like formation of triangles and pyramids, surrounded by smaller cubes and cones in a perfect configuration.

A Moksha wraith.

The temperature immediately began to plummet as ice formed on the water under the massive, unnatural creature that towered over the girls.

"...Shit, that's..._bad_" Kyoko managed to blurt out.

* * *

"...Something is wrong" Valtir said quietly. Mami and Nagisa's attentions were instantly diverted to Sayaka's gem. An unearthly inkly blackness seemed to be almost spilling out of the gem.

...No, not spilling out of. It was spiraling up the magical tethers connecting it to the other gems. Valtir was doing his best to halt the spread, but this kind of magic was entirely unknown to him.

"What's happening?" Mami exclaimed with fear as she bolted to her feet in alarm.

"I...I'm not sure" the wizard grunted, "The corruption in Sayaka's gem is becoming volatile, it's threatening to corrupt the other gems. It's...almost like it's alive". He sounded surprised.

Mami's eyes widened in fear, "...Pull them out!"

"If I do that now, they might _all_ be rendered comatose!" Valtir replied, more harshly than he'd intended.

Mami rounded the bed, placing herself over the wizard's shoulder, "Then send me in!" she demanded, all but slamming her own soul gem onto the table next to the others.

The wizard shook his head, "I told you, I can't guarantee your safety-"

"I know what you said" Mami replied, her expression having shifted to stony professional coldness, "Can you guarantee _their_ safety right now?"

Valtir paused, "...No" he admitted.

"Then send. Me. In".

"Mami-" Nagisa said, standing up.

"No" Mami told her, "You will stay here".

"But-"

"That's an _order_" the blonde said with finality, her facade cracking. Nagisa stopped arguing and slowly slumped to the floor in defeat, a despondent look on her face.

"I'm not sending you in" Valtir told Mami. He was clearly straining, "Doing so could make the situation _worse!_"

"_I can help them!" _Mami exclaimed, nearly screaming.

"No, you CAN'T!" Valtir replied with equal force, daring to take his eyes off the gems to look her in the eyes, "Only they can. Sometimes the only thing you can do is trust them. If you can't trust your students, then how can they ever measure up?"

Mami was taken aback. She'd never mentioned her relation to the others, "I—how did you-"

Valtir returned to his work, "Child, I am over a thousand years old. I _know._ I've seen it countless times. How you carry yourself, how you interact with them. I also know what it's like to send others off, not knowing if they'll come back. All you can do is have faith in them".

"...I can't lose them again" Mami said quietly, her conviction and fire gone. She gripped her soul gem still on the table tightly, "...They're all I have". She wasn't going to break here. She _wasn't._ Mami clamped down on her emotions, but very soon they began to bubble up anyway.

Nagisa eyed Mami—the person who had stood against Homura and her ideal world because she thought it was 'wrong'. Nagisa had sided with Homura simply because she wanted a second chance at life; she _liked_ living with Mami and hanging out with everyone. She _liked _going to school and playing games and running around the city and going out to eat. She _liked _being loved and appreciated and just being _alive. _But Mami had been content with her going back to the Law of Cycles, back to her slumber. Because it was how things were supposed to be.

Nagisa was a child, she knew that. She knew older people knew more than her. She knew Mami knew better than she did. Even as a former secretary for the Law of Cycles, even ascended, she still knew this. And here Mami was begging and pleading for the others to return to her, when she'd been so willing to let Nagisa leave.

Of course, that was to be expected. Mami had never known her before Homura's paradise. It only made sense. She was expendable, unneeded. In the way. It was a familiar feeling.

Nagisa silently curled up into a ball at the implied rejection.

* * *

The three magical girls stared up at the abomination hovering impassively before them. The wind had picked up as the temperature had dropped to near-arctic standards, and the miasma in the air was almost like a storm unto itself—enough that it was giving Madoka very uncomfortable flashbacks.

"...I'm gonna go on and assume this _wasn't_ part of Homura's plan" Kyoko said with worry.

Sayaka wheezed as she leaned up against her pile of debris—she hadn't much enjoyed being their meal the first time around either, "I hope somebody has a plan" she clutched her chest as if in pain.

"...Sayaka?" Kyoko asked, looking back in concern as it looked like the girl was having a heart attack.

"I...I'm not feeling so good..." Sayaka grunted, doubling over.

Kyoko turned to Madoka as she tended to their friend, "We have to get out of here _now_! I-" she looked back at the wraith as it began to draw closer to them. Oktavia attempted to approach, but the icy winds began to sheer at her, ripping into her armor like it wasn't even there before the witch was forced to back off, now clearly injured, "...I don't think we can win against that with just the three of us" she grabbed Sayaka by the shoulder, "You need to break the barrier!"

Sayaka's gaze shifted between Kyoko and the abomination in terror, "I...we can't! If I break the barrier the wraith escapes into the real world!"

Kyoko grimaced; the implications hitting her. The College would be vaporized almost instantly. They'd all probably be killed, "...Damn..."

Madoka's eyes darted as she thought quickly, "...No" she said, "Kyoko's right". The other two girls looked at her like she was crazy.

"Madoka, you can't be-" Sayaka didn't get to finish her sentence as she was struck with another agonizing bout of pain. She fell into the freezing water on all fours, doing everything she could to keep breathing as the world spun around aimlessly around her.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko shouted in panic as she knelt down beside her. Sayaka said nothing; she couldn't say anything, she was too busy trying to stay alive.

"Kyoko" Madoka said urgently, "Has your soul gem darkened _at all_ since we got to Tamriel?"

The redhead blinked, thinking back. No...no it hadn't. She had definitely found that odd—even though their soul magic was sealed away, negative emotions and regular wear and tear still should have had an impact. "...No" she said curiously.

"Neither has Mami's or mine" Madoka said, "And Sayaka's was slowly getting better before this".

Kyoko knew where Madoka was going with this, "...You think if we drop the barrier, Sayaka's gem will purify".

Madoka nodded, "_Something_ about Tamriel doesn't like curses and easily replenishes magic".

"...Tamriel?" Sayaka managed to croak out in pain, "What-"

The abomination was almost upon them. Kyoko put up a protective barrier as the winds began to beat down.

"I'll explain later" Madoka said, her voice somehow becoming even more urgent as she dropped to her knees in front of Sayaka, "Do you trust me?"

Sayaka looked at her, "...More than anything".

Madoka looked her directly in the eyes, "Then drop the barrier".

"But-"

"_Please"._

Sayaka gave a deep but extremely ragged sigh, now relying entirely on Kyoko and Madoka to keep herself even remotely upright as their magic began to flow into her. Above, Oktavia ascended beyond the miasma storm towards the sky.

...the wraith followed. Beams of light, less like lasers and more like giant energy cannons, erupted from its associated polygons which the mermaid barely evaded. Her armor and scales were torn away by the gale as her skin began to freeze over, but still she flew. Giant versions of Madoka's bow and Kyoko's spear appeared in each hand and as she continued to fly up, she notched the spear into the bow like an arrow and a deep blue version of Madoka's sigil appeared. Then as Sayaka clutched Madoka and Kyoko's hands tightly, holding on for dear life as she trusted in them and braced herself, Oktavia let the spear fly as the wraith closed in, almost upon the witch.

The spear punched through the sky, through the barrier, and brilliant blinding light engulfed _everything_.

* * *

Sayaka opened her eyes with a start, taking a deep, reflexive breath as she came to. As her breathing steadied, she found herself in a fairly comfy bed and...warm. Much warmer than the destroyed cityscape had been. Very quickly she located the source of the warmth—the two bodies she was laying next to, one Kyoko Sakura, and one Madoka Kaname.

"Sayaka!" a familiar voice shouted in astonishment and joy. Sayaka suddenly found herself locked in a very tight and grateful hug from Mami, "You're alright! Thank goodness".

"Told you we'd bring her back" Kyoko said with glee as another pair of arms wrapped around her.

Sayaka's eyes began to water as she realized she was back. She was really, truly _back._ She wasn't in the nightmare anymore. She wasn't in Homura's void-like apartment. She was out. She was _free. _She was _safe. _She gripped Mami back, "...Hey, guys" she managed to whisper, stifling a sob.

"How are you feeling?" Madoka asked as she joined in.

"I..." Sayaka paused, realizing she felt...good. Really good. Better than she had in ages. She was absolutely _exhausted_, but the malaise and pain she'd felt in all that time in the labyrinth Homura had built around her was gone. She felt _okay._ Over on the table she saw her soul gem; a vibrant deep shade of cerulean blue—absolutely pristine. She hugged the others tighter.

"I could really use a nap" she joked, the chuckle more resembled a sob though.

Sayaka then caught sight of a fourth person in the corner of her eye—Nagisa Momoe who stood a few steps away, looking extremely hesitant about joining in. Nagisa Momoe, who had stood back and played around as Homura had forcibly severed Sayaka from the grace of the Law of Cycles and had stolen her salvation away from her. Nagisa Momoe, who had done _nothing_ as Homura had dug into Sayaka's psyche and tore out her memories piece by piece against her will, even as she'd struggled to retain who she was, what she was, even as she couldn't trust anything-Homura giving her that infuriating knowing smile while she was at her complete and utter mercy. Every time she'd grabbed one memory, another had slipped away and—no _don't think about it._

Nagisa Momoe, who had _betrayed_ her and the Law of Cycles and every other magical girl who ever lived, who had abandoned her post, abandoned _her_, who had let the devil win. Sayaka's angry, hateful glare while the others were turned away ended all thoughts from the nine-year-old about joining in. The younger girl backed off in shame.

...Nagisa considered that, maybe, she just didn't belong here.

Lastly, Sayaka noticed the gold-skinned man with pointed ears (an alien?) in a set of robes sitting next to everyone's soul gems. And a grey-skinned woman, also with pointed ears, and the room was made of old-timey stonework and…

"So uh..." she pulled away from the others at last, "...Where _are_ we?"

* * *

"...She doesn't know".

It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact. Kyoko knew exactly to what Mami was referring to, though she'd really kind of hoped against hope it wasn't going to come up. But she knew Mami better than that.

"...No, she doesn't" Kyoko replied. They sat outside of the room in separate chairs with the door closed, giving Madoka and Sayaka some time alone so the former could fill the latter in on...well, everything. Madoka had the best bedside manner of the group, and she knew how to handle Sayaka even better than Kyoko. Besides, as the former Law of Cycles, she had felt sort of responsible for her.

Kyoko sighed, hunching over, "Why would she? She wasn't there when I told Homura. As far as Sayaka knows, Homura captured her simply because she was already keeping an eye on her".

"...You need to tell her" Mami said.

Kyoko gave her friend a glare, "And what? Did you _see_ the way she looked at Nagisa? It was like the girl had shot her dog, and she didn't even _do_ anything".

"If you just _explain_-"

"If I try, I'll just fuck it up. You know me. And even if I don't, she'll still hate me forever. You didn't see what Homura did" Kyoko repressed a shiver as she lowered her voice, "I really don't think she planned for it to go as far as it did, but Sayaka's not going to forgive, not ever". And she wasn't going to apologize. She didn't need to apologize because she hadn't done anything wrong. And that meant that if Sayaka found out then they'd have a fight and…

And she might lose Sayaka again.

Mami looked at Kyoko with sad eyes, "...Then what are you going to do?"

Kyoko scoffed and leaned back, "I'm going to let the matter drop. It's in the past, it's not important. Sayaka's alive, you're _welcome_ by the way, and we can all _move on_. No use getting all dramatic about it".

Mami frowned, "And you don't think Sayaka deserves to know?"

"What I _think_ is that telling people what they don't need to know will only make things worse in the long run" Kyoko replied, giving Mami a knowing, haunted look.

Mami sighed but relented, knowing exactly what Kyoko was getting at. She wasn't going to push those buttons.

"...Are_ you_ going to tell her?" Kyoko asked with a hint of uncharacteristic hesitance and worry after a brief silence.

Mami was quiet for a moment, considering her answer, "...It's not my place. I won't lie for you though. If she asks me directly, I'll have to tell her".

Somewhat surprised by the blonde's answer but appreciative, Kyoko replied, "...Thank you".

Mami's gaze hardened as she looked down at the floor, "For the record, I do _not_ like this...but you're right. We have too many other things to worry about right now to have to deal with you and Sayaka fighting. But you really do need to tell her at some point. She deserves to know".

Kyoko gave a non-committal grunt, indicating that this conversation was effectively over. Mami sighed in disappointment, then got up. Nagisa had wandered off without so much as a word, and Mami figured she needed to track the wayward girl down before she got into trouble.

* * *

She'd been dreaming of the other girls. As Homura rose from her slumber in the middle of the night, she couldn't help but wonder why. A small distance away slept Theodor—she idly considered getting up and leaving without him, but knew at this point it was a futile endeavor. Whoever he was, she could not escape him. He would show up an hour down the road as if she'd never left him, and all she'd have to show for it would be a lack of sleep. By this point Homura had just learned to accept his presence, the alternative was a path to madness.

At the very least tomorrow they would reach Frost Creek, and while Homura was sure Madoka had long since left the town, it still put her one step closer to the one person who meant more to her than anything else.

Her thoughts drifted back to the others, wondering if they'd made it here too or if they were dead like everyone else. She...honestly wasn't sure which she was hoping for. Obviously she would prefer they weren't dead and were keeping Madoka at least somewhat safe but at the same time part of her couldn't help but wonder if things wouldn't be easier going forward if they weren't around anymore to mess things up.

...What an awful person she was.

She'd left Miki in a mind prison. Homura wondered what had happened; had Sayaka survived, would she still be in there? No one else knew she'd copied the Incubators' work.

...No, no, clearly Sayaka would be free. Homura wasn't the devil anymore. Her powers were gone; obviously the isolation field would have stopped working with it, right?

Right, no. Of course. That much was obvious.

It wasn't that she'd outright wanted to do it—for all her justified irritation and anger towards her, for all her dramatic bluster, she hadn't felt outright malicious towards her-Homura's feelings were more accurately summed up as 'disdain' and 'pity'. And irritation. And annoyance. And disgust. And okay maybe she _had _wanted to put the girl in her place a bit because honestly she needed to be. Miki's punishment had been measured and deserved.

Miki had left her no choice—her constant and tiresome meddling had left the demon with no other choice than to punish her and hopefully rehabilitate her as a productive friend to Madoka. She was not a hero of justice, she was not the right hand of god, she was just a dumb, selfish, spoiled girl who needed to learn her place and Homura had needed to reinforce that to her when it became clear that simply wiping her memory over and over was not going to be enough.

The thought that the others might not have survived sent an odd sense of loss surging through Homura that she couldn't quite place. She'd spent so long thinking of each of them as almost expendable fixtures—always there but easily replaced; they'd just be back next loop...she'd never really had to grapple with the idea of there being no more do-overs—even in Madoka's world there had been the fact that Madoka had taken Miki with her. She'd certainly known of course, but the difference between academic knowledge and really understanding, feeling a concept were very different.

Sleep didn't find Homura again as instead the girl found herself watching the twin moons slowly shift through the sky towards the far horizon, an odd sort of contemplation filling her thoughts.

* * *

Ambroise considered himself a humble, understanding man. Six hundred years both as a self-proclaimed vampire lord and as a reachman had taught him that. Centuries fighting endless guerrilla wars against the nord occupiers. Centuries of being looked down on because he wasn't a _proper_ vampire lord with a noble lineage, but was instead a '_filthy mongrel'_ who had been bitten by some feral nobody. Centuries of slowly building his clan, slowly mastering magic, slowly rising in the ranks of society until he was on the Reachking's small council.

And so Ambroise _understood_. He was not a vengeful man. He was not a raging storm. He was kind, understanding, forgiving. More than that, he was a _patriot._ He fought for his people, fought for their way of life, fought for the right to worship their gods. So when Uela had returned, injured and without her sisters in tow, babbling incoherently, he understood. He'd debriefed her as best he could and then sent her off to recover. Really it had been his own fault; he'd known exactly what he was dealing with, and he should have sent more forces to apprehend the fallen goddess. The only reason he hadn't was because he'd not wanted to make a scene, too large of a force would have been detected and treated as a declaration of war by the Nordic kingdoms.

But that caution had cost him. Now his quarry were safe in Winterhold, far outside his grasp. Well, all but one, but no one seemed to know where the other fallen goddess was—it was as if something was hiding her from view. Alas. Now he had to wait them out. They had to leave Winterhold eventually, but now that the Psijic Order was guarding them, his objectives had become far, far harder.

The vampire sighed as he made his way down the stone steps from the king's palace in Markarth, the drizzling gray sky above shielding him from the wrath of the sun-another reason to love the Reach. All around him were more reasons: children playing, proper reachmen shopping without fear in the streets. Proper shrines to Hircine, Molag Bal, Malacath, Namira, and others instead of the feckless Imperial and Nordic pantheons. The austere and gorgeous stonework built by the dwemer who had inhabited this city before them. The grand gray and white mountains and waterfalls that encircled the fortress city.

The Reach was a paradise, finally pure and clean of foreign meddlers. But it was always under siege; by the Nords, by the Bretons, by the Redguard, by the Orcs. No one on Tamriel could suffer the Reach existing, and the peace and prosperity they'd attained was fragile and required constant vigilance.

But the capture of Madoka Kaname, or Homura Akemi could change that forever.

"My lord".

Ambroise turned as one of his loyal subordinates came up to him. Anton was a young reachman, in his late twenties. As a child his parents had been lynched by the so-called 'Vigilants of Stendarr' (the third such terrorist group to call themselves that) just for being worshipers of Hircine. But now Anton lived in a kingdom where being a werewolf like himself wasn't just not frowned on, but was seen as respected and worthy. Anton was proud, and like his master was a true patriot of the Reach.

"Yes?" Ambroise asked his subordinate. Some of the more 'noble' vampire clans may have taken offense to a vampire building a clan around 'filthy' beasts like werewolves, hagravens, mongrel vampires, and minotaurs amongst others, but they were not Reach. The 'noble' vampires could _never_ be Reach, and their opinions were irrelevant.

"We've located a shard" Anton said lowly, coming in close to his master, "The Order, one of Valtir's contacts, has it".

Ambroise tensed, "...Where is he?" the vampire asked, now _very_ interested.

"Solitude" the younger man replied, "We think he's waiting for Valtir or Madoka".

The vampire scoffed at the Order's attempts at being subtle, "Probably trying to avoid Thalmor detection" he mused, "...Have you ever been to Solitude, Anton?"

"No, sir".

"Beautiful city" the vampire said, "Maybe one day the Reach will extend there as well. For now however...prepare a raiding party. You're going hunting".

Anton grinned ferociously, "Yes, master".


	9. 1x08: I owe you answers

**CHAPTER EIGHT: I OWE YOU ANSWERS**

* * *

Sayaka came to slowly. The first thing she realized was that she was definitely _not_ in her bed, but was upright. And...bound, her mouth muzzled. Floating warning signs surrounded her in the white void.

_Oh no._

"Did we have a nice dream?" the Demon asked with a crooked smile. Sayaka's blood froze as the demon lazily approached her, bathing in the apprehension and fear the bluenette was giving off. Sayaka struggled, trying to free herself even though she knew it was hopeless.

The Demon giggled as she gently brushed her hand across Sayaka's face, "Still trying to fight me, even after all that?" she sighed, as if coming to a conclusion, "I had hoped to get through to you. Sadly, even I have a limit to my patience".

With a snap of her fingers, the Demon summoned her clara dolls to her, "You could have had everything, you know. A normal life, friends and family. A girlfriend who thought the world of you. Alas. But fret not; I will give you the purpose you so desperately seek".

The clara dolls approached Sayaka, each carrying sewing needles. She screamed and struggled as they swarmed her, shoving the needles into her flesh and beginning their dark work.

"Shhh, shhh" the Demon cooed gently, placing her finger over Sayaka's muzzle, "Don't struggle. You wanted to disappear anyway, right? Well, I can't send you back to the Law of Cycles, but I can still grant you a certain kind of oblivion".

She was being stripped of her memories again. She tried in futile desperation to hold on, to remember, but they were leaking out like rain as she felt the Demon's claws rummaging through her mind—and unlike before they weren't being replaced by anything. Instead there was nothing, just an empty void. A cold terror overtook her as she realized she was being erased and there was _nothing she could do._

She was Sayaka Miki, she told herself in some vain effort to hold on to some base aspect of who she was even as everything else washed away; praying, _pleading_ that someone would find her, save her. Kyoko, Madoka, Mami, _somebody._

"It's so hard, isn't it?" the Demon asked, taking so much enjoyment in her suffering as she danced around her, "Trying to juggle everything. Turn your back on a memory for even second and it's gone forever. Even just listening to me now, I wonder how much you've already forgotten. I wonder how little of you is left".

She repeated that one fact, her name. It was her mantra, her lifeline. She was Sayaka Miki. She was Sayaka Miki. _She was Sayaka Miki._ Tears rolled down her face.

No one was coming.

"Perhaps you had the right idea" the Demon taunted her, "The others will get along far better without you making everything worse. I'll make sure they forget all about you".

All around her the clara dolls transformed her, sewing up her flesh. The pain was agonizing, but she couldn't even scream—her mouth had been sewed shut.

She couldn't...she couldn't remember her name. Who was she? What was she? Why was she crying?

As she was let out of her bindings, she was very nearly a blank slate. She turned to a mirror and saw a thin, spindly being with chalk white porcelain skin, pale blue hair, a wide unnatural smile, and dark clothing.

_A clara doll._

* * *

Sayaka awoke with a start in cold sweat, terrified out of her mind. It took several seconds of panicked grabbing of her own limbs, her mouth, and her bed before she realized she wasn't...wasn't...a shiver went down her spine, unable to finish that thought.

She was Sayaka Miki. She was Sayaka Miki. She was Sayaka Miki. _She was Sayaka Miki._

The bluenette shifted in bed restlessly, feeling suffocated by the dark and unfamiliar room before she decided she couldn't stay here a moment longer. She got up, throwing on a robe before quickly and as quietly as she could exiting to the rooftop of the student dorms. The cold breeze instantly took away the last dregs of sleep, and while it was mildly uncomfortable she didn't care. It was something she could touch, something that could anchor her down and ground her.

Sayaka leaned against the parapet that was keeping her from dropping over the side of the building and slid down to the floor in a heap, still trying to steady her breath. She could still feel the shock when with a single clap of her hands Homura had cut her off from the Law of Cycles, ripping her away from grace and salvation. She'd taken away her purpose as Madoka's assistant. She'd taken her memories, who she was, piece by piece just for speaking out and left her little more than a...then a doll, she supposed, a husk without freedom in her proverbial doll house. She'd imprisoned her, trapped her inside her own mind. She'd left her to die.

And when she'd awoken, Sayaka had found everything she'd fought for was gone. Homura had done what she'd promised and destroyed the world.

She shivered, resisting a sudden urge to break down.

It was a clear night; up above the twin moons hovered silently, shining down and granting a ghostly glow to the snowy landscape beyond the castle. Two moons; two. It was just off enough to always remind her that this wasn't Earth. Certainly, Madoka had woken Sayaka up from slumber for Law of Cycles work on more than a few occasions when she had needed a physical entity on the scene, and she'd seen some really exotic locals in her time—but somehow it being _almost _like Earth but not quite made it all the more off-putting, especially knowing there was no way back home.

...Everyone was dead.

That was the news Madoka had broke to her a few hours before. Everyone she'd ever known, everyone she'd ever loved. Except for the small group here at this College, they were dead, as if they'd never existed. Her world was gone, and she'd been out of commission the entire time. She wasn't really sure how to process that; she'd failed not just Madoka but everyone ever. She was an abject failure.

Some assistant she'd turned out to be.

She stifled a sob as she shifted into a ball.

"Hey".

Sayaka _jumped._

"Woah, skittish much?" Kyoko asked, backing half a step away at the unexpected reaction. While Sayaka had been focused inward, she'd failed to notice Kyoko approaching. The redhead leaned against the parapet, a blanket in one hand and a small plate of something in the other.

"...Kyoko" Sayaka gasped in surprise before rubbing the water from her eyes, "Hey, I didn't see you..."

"You look like shit" the other girl said softly with her own unique brand of tenderness before approaching.

Sayaka gave a halfhearted chuckle that was more like a sob, "Sorry, I just..." She looked _miserable._

"Bad dream?"

Sayaka nodded wordlessly as Kyoko settled down next to her, putting the plate of what looked to be pastries down on the ground before wrapping the blanket around both of them, "Wanna talk about it?"

Sayaka shook her head.

"Good" Kyoko took one of the rolls off the plate and began stuffing her face, "My bedside manner sucks". This actually elicited a genuine giggle from the other girl, and Kyoko took it as a good sign. She handed the other sweet roll to the bluenette who took it with some caution.

"...Where did you get these?" Sayaka asked with suspicion.

Kyoko gave the other girl a sly grin, "Stole it from the kitchen when they weren't looking".

Sayaka gasped, "Kyoko!" she chastised.

The redhead rolled her eyes as she came clean, "It's leftovers from dinner. They were left on the tables downstairs. Christ Sayaka, come on".

The bluenette sighed at Kyoko's bad attempt at riling her up before biting into her food. Even slightly stale it was just what she needed, "...Thank you".

"That's more like it" Kyoko grinned, before shifting closer to Sayaka and leaning her head against her shoulder.

"...You're being awfully affectionate tonight".

Kyoko laughed at that, "I just spent god knows how long with an angry mad scientist wizard doing experiments on me in his magical mushroom tower. I _deserve_ to be a bit clingy" a pause, "...I'm glad you're back" she added, her voice more subdued.

"...Yeah" Sayaka said numbly, her eyes distant.

Concern drifted over Kyoko's face, "...Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Sayaka shook her head again and Kyoko let the matter drop, if reluctantly. A moment of silence passed before Sayaka asked, "...So what's the plan?"

"Plan?" the redhead looked at her.

"What are we doing? Where are we going? I mean...we're not just staying here forever, are we?" Sayaka gestured to the castle.

Kyoko shrugged, "I dunno. Valtir brought Nagisa and me here" she noticed Sayaka tense at the younger girl's name, "He said he had some important shit to tell us once you were awake, so I guess we'll find out tomorrow". She paused, debating if she really wanted to open this particular can of worms, but found she couldn't resist as she really wanted to see measure Sayaka's feelings, "...You're really mad at Nagisa, huh?"

Sayaka's hand balled into a fist as she grit her teeth, her gaze focused on the ground. Her voice was low and tense, barely above a whisper, "She betrayed us".

"She's _nine_" Kyoko said with a hint of disbelief, "She just wanted to keep living. She didn't mean for any of this".

Sayaka gave her a hard glare, "We had a duty to the Law of Cycles. Madoka sacrificed _everything_ for us and she just threw it away. And for what?"

"…A normal life, maybe?" Kyoko mumbled under her breath, though perhaps louder than she'd really intended. She adored Sayaka, she really did, and her sense of right and wrong often reminded Kyoko of who she used to be (and even made her want to be again on certain days), but sometimes the bluenette was as dumb as a box of rocks. Whenever she got into one of her stubborn _moods_, it was lofty morals this, lofty morals that—even if the morals didn't make _sense_. Like right now. They didn't make sense. They were dumb morals. Sayaka was being dumb. Again.

The bluenette's glare deepened as she went from tense to genuinely angry, "You're taking her side!?"

"Woah, woah!" Kyoko put up her hands in defense. It was time to back away from this minefield, as even Kyoko could notice the bitterness laced in the other girl's voice—she desperately needed _someone_ in her corner right now regardless of who was right or wrong. Kyoko was going to have to figure out a different approach that didn't involve potentially ending friendships, "I'm not taking 'sides'. I completely agree what Homura did to you was messed up. I just...look, I don't want to see you punch out a small child. People frown on that".

Sayaka's glare lingered for a moment before she deflated, "...I'm sorry" she said regretfully, "I'm still a little..." she trailed off.

"Tense?"

"Yeah, I guess that's a word for it" Sayaka said.

"...You mind if I'm still friends with her?" Kyoko asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Sayaka's gaze returned to the ground, "Sure, do what you want". She was definitely hurt by Kyoko's question, but was cognizant enough to know she was being petty and wasn't willing to fight Kyoko on that.

The redhead grimaced at the resulting silence as Sayaka wouldn't give her eye contact. She nudged the bluenette, "Hey, I'm sure you could take her. You don't need to prove it to me".

Despite herself, Sayaka grinned as she rolled her eyes, "Kyoko..."

"I believe, wholeheartedly, that you are badass enough to take on an entire orphanage bare-handed".

"Kyoko..." Sayaka was doing her best not to laugh.

"Sayaka Miki, puncher of babies!" Kyoko snickered.

This finally broke Sayaka, and she doubled over in much-needed laughter, "Kyoko, stop!" It felt good to hear that laughter again, and Kyoko couldn't help but join in. The two girls laughed themselves out before calming down, and Sayaka gently grabbed Kyoko's hand.

"...Oh man, I've missed you" Sayaka said with a shuttered sigh, relaxing as much as she could against Kyoko.

The redhead flashed a grin, "Well, I'm not goin' anywhere".

"Mmm" Sayaka muttered, her head leaning against Kyoko. Yeah, just like this. Kyoko wasn't going anywhere, Sayaka wasn't going anywhere. Kyoko let out a deep sigh of her own, realizing that for the first time she was quite possibly free_._ She didn't have to fight wraiths, she didn't have to die young, and Sayaka...Sayaka was right next to her. Mami was downstairs, so was Nagisa. She could shoot goddamn fire out of her fingertips.

Sure, this place didn't have video games or arcades or pocky or cheap convenience store food or city skylines but...

This...this was okay. This was _good. _She'd lamented the loss of it all on Solstheim, but now that they were away from that damned island and she had found everyone again, none of that seemed as important. Maybe...maybe this was alright.

Kyoko felt a twinge of guilt. She'd made out like a goddamn thief, and she felt so good about it but...the cost. Normally she wouldn't think much about dead people because hey people died all the time, but even for her the literal extinction of their entire universe was a bit much. She hadn't really lost anyone she'd spend tears over (apparently even Homura had made it...somewhere. Assuming she still wanted to call Homura a friend anyway), yet the old idealistic part of her weighed on her even as she tried her best to ignore it—the death toll was beyond imagining...and yet here she was enjoying the fruits of it.

It was fine, she told herself. Survival of the fittest. She'd survived, the others hadn't; there was no shame in that. She was a survivor, that was to be expected.

Never-mind it had also cost Sayaka a metaphorical fortune.

...Yeah, Kyoko still felt kind of like a piece of shit.

"...Hey, Sayaka-" she started, to get herself off this depressing train of thought, but stopped when she realized Sayaka had fallen asleep on her shoulder, the bluenette's breathing having become calm and rhythmic. Kyoko couldn't help but smile; maybe she'd at least have less nightmares.

...Well, she supposed she was stuck out here for the rest of the night, huh? Kyoko yawned, and then devoured the rest of her sweet roll by shoving the entire thing into her mouth and then literally choking it down. Seeing that Sayaka had left hers half-eaten as well, Kyoko shrugged and repeated the process, very nearly unhinging her jaw like a snake. Licking her fingers with a contented expression on her face, the redhead then settled in and very soon drifted off just like her counterpart.

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair, Mami noted. Sayaka's state had been subdued since her return—not all that surprising going by what little she'd been told by Madoka and Kyoko about what had gone on inside the isolation field. At the moment Kyoko was doing her best to keep her spirits up, and it seemed to be working...but every time the blonde and the redhead's eyes met, Mami could tell Kyoko was worried.

Speaking of subdued; Nagisa had been nearly silent since Sayaka had woken up. No silly antics, no loud enthusiastic conversations...she was nearly mute as she ate her food. Mami knew it was likely to do with how the bluenette had treated her upon waking—the two were most certainly _not _on speaking terms, but she seemed to be withdrawn even from Mami, which worried her.

And finally there was Madoka. The pink-haired girl sat away from the others, as she'd had a sort of habit of doing since they'd all met up once again. She'd come to see Sayaka and make sure she was okay, and then she'd sequestered herself away and allowed Kyoko to keep Sayaka occupied. Occasionally Mami would catch her glancing back at the bluenette with varying looks of concern and guilt—and it didn't take much for Mami to connect the dots. The pinkette's mood had been up and down since arriving on Tamriel, and adding one more casualty to the list couldn't be doing any wonders for the sheer amount of pressure and guilt on her shoulders. Mami considered going over to her, but while she was sure Madoka would greet her with a wide smile, she was getting the distinct impression she really wanted to be left alone at the moment.

And so that left Mami by herself. Alone. She sighed slightly at the loneliness that threatened to build within her, afraid of the situation around her unraveling. Kyoko was hiding things from Sayaka, Sayaka was undeniably furious at Nagisa, and there was the ever-present threat of Homura showing up and making everything even worse. It made her uneasy.

Thus, she was relieved when Valtir arrived mid-morning.

"Ah, good. Everyone's here" he said happily before his mood turned, "...I believe I owe you answers".

"God, _finally"_ Kyoko exclaimed, to which the monk could only help but chuckle a bit.

"Why _are_ we all here?" Mami asked him, "What exactly is going on?"

Valtir sighed, "...Come. I think we'll find better speaking arrangements in the College Arcanaeum".

"...The what-now?" Sayaka asked in confusion as they were led down the stairs to the entrance of the apprentice dorms.

The elf gave her a raised eyebrow, "The library".

* * *

The library, located on the third floor of the College's main structure, was much like the other rooms—large, vaguely circular, and cram-packed with stuff. Bookshelves lined the walls, including a number of dividing walls that partially split the center from the room's outer rings. Another floor existed above them, a balcony with even more stuff. In the central area were several tables, and along the back wall an old green-skinned orc sat with a long white beard and an extremely grumpy look on his face.

"The kids again. And you brought more of them this time. Fantastic".

"And screw you right back" Kyoko muttered as she headed over to the table where everyone was assembling.

The orc almost retorted until Brelyna stepped in, "Calm down, Urag. They're not going to break anything". Urag gave a grunt and went back to his work before the Arch-Mage turned to the girls, "Don't mind him, he's just particular about his books".

"I remember when you were a snot-nosed kid ruining my collection too" Urag said, "Lost six books to your shenanigans".

"I paid those fines decades ago" Brelyna exclaimed in mild bemusement.

"A librarian never forgets".

The dunmer gave an exasperated eye-roll at the old orc, who by all accounts should have been dead decades ago. She had no idea to his actual age; he'd always been somewhat cagey about how long he'd been around and she hadn't been able to tease anything out other than the fact that he had been an old mer even when she'd been a student half a century ago—which should have been an orc's lifespan to begin with. She'd once asked the last Arch-Mage before her, Tolfdir, but the kindly old nord had only chuckled without responding.

...She missed Tolfdir. It was hard, being in charge when you still thought of yourself as young and inexperienced.

Brelyna had assembled some of the staff; those she trusted implicitly. This mostly meant herself, Urag (obviously), and her two old partners in crime: J'zargo, Master of Destruction, and Onmond, Master-Wizard. The other College Masters had been sent to keep the apprentices occupied and away from the library. It wasn't that she was paranoid of the others, but politics were always a problem in the College, and that always had a way of inviting unfriendly foreign ears...like the College of Whispers, the Synod, or even (especially) the Thalmor.

Valtir guided the akaviri girls to the table and then looked at Brelyna. She nodded, and the altmer took the floor, "Greetings, everyone. As I'm sure you all know by now, I am Valtir of the Psijic Order, and I have come to you with important information. I have been tasked with assembling the six young women who have landed here on Nirn after the destruction of their world".

"...Six?" Madoka asked in realization, "You know where Homura is?"

"...Hopefully in hell where she belongs" Sayaka muttered under her breath. Kyoko eyed her nervously.

Valtir gave a frustrated sigh, "Yes...and no. We know she landed on Nirn, and we had traced her to the Reach...but she has since given us the slip. We're trying to locate her once again, but it's..." he frowned, "It's as if something or someone is hiding her from us".

Dread pooled inside Madoka, "What do you mean by that? She's okay, right?"

"I assure you, we are committed to finding her and have expertly-trained mages looking for her. Once we have something, you will be the first to know".

"...You promise" Madoka said firmly.

Valtir nodded, "She is vitally important, and we cannot do this without her. I had wanted her here with the rest of you, but time _is _of the essence, and we need to start moving. As soon as she is located, we will direct her towards you".

Kyoko gave the elf a glare as she leaned back against the table, her arms folded and legs stretched out, "...And what exactly do you want us to do? You've been dancing around it for _days_ now".

"Indeed" Valtir said, "First, some backstory. Do you all know how you came to be here?"

Madoka looked down at the table in shame, "There was...I mean to say we..." she trailed off for a moment, "...Homura and I had a fight" she finished lamely.

Valtir arched his eyebrow in amusement, "Clearly. But it's more complicated than that, isn't it?"

Madoka frowned but nodded.

"Neloth said Homura split Hope in two" Nagisa said helpfully, trying to remember the specifics of a conversation she'd had way back when she'd first arrived, "Something about...dragonbreaks?"

"Neloth shared his theories with us, and I concur" the monk replied. He sat down on another table opposite of the others. Then, with a bit of magic he created what could only be described as a holographic planetarium that overlaid itself on the library. In the center sat a blue and green world, much like Earth but very different. Above it hovered two familiar moons—the two in the night sky. Beyond them in various orbits were eight other planets, and beyond that the stars twinkled.

"What you call the 'universe' we call the Aurbis" Valtir said, "It is the wheel upon which creation turns. Beyond it is the void, the nothingness. The Aurbis itself is infinite—a literally endless number of realms and planes of existence rest within it, and many of them are functionally infinite in size in of themselves. We assume your plane of existence was one of them—though from where it came from we cannot say as it was unknown to us until The Event".

"A wider multiverse" Madoka said, as if confirming something. She'd suspected but had never been able to prove it beyond the myriad timelines and quantum fluctuations that superimposed themselves on her own world, all variations on a theme. Beyond that was unknown to her; after all, how could she exist in a universe where magical girls did not?

"If you would like to consider it that way" Valtir said before continuing, "The Aurbis is subdivided into many regions. Aetherius; the origin of magic and life. Oblivion, the endless expanse and the home of the so-called Daedric Princes. And Mundus, the center of the wheel, the fulcrum of creation you see around you" he motioned to the planetarium, "It was a group project of sorts between many aedric spirits, entities you would refer to as gods, though..." a troubled expression grew, "The intentions and outcome of the project are...controversial depending on who you talk to".

Mami blinked, "...Why?"

The altmer laughed, "Why indeed? Discussing implications of creation and the events that led up to it could take an entire college course and more. Suffice to say, there are many opinions on who did what and why—none of which are important at this particular moment. What _is_ important is that it was the result of a collective effort; an assemblage of talent from many spirits and concepts that weaved together the world you see around you today".

"And this has...what to do with us?" Kyoko asked, starting to get impatient.

Valtir eyed her, "Everything. Madoka Kaname" the pinkette shifted to attention when he called her name, "You were your realm's concept of hope, correct? You didn't just embody hope and salvation, you _were_ those concepts. Not just for magical girls, but the very idea all sentient beings drew from".

"I...yes" she said, somewhat hesitantly.

"We have many such concepts here in the Mundus, on Nirn. Spirits who bonded themselves to this plane and gave up much of their power and agency in order to maintain it. Mara, the concept of love and fertility. Stendarr, the spirit of mercy and justice. Jephre, spirit of song and the forest...and many others. But arguably the most important, and the one most relevant to us today, is Auri-El, the spirit of time and permanence. He has many names, many faces. Many humans call him Akatosh, the dragon god, or some variation therein".

"See? What'd I tell you" Kyoko whispered to Sayaka, "It's goddamn Narnia up in here".

"Giants?"

"Yep".

"Mermaids?"

"Sorta".

"Unicorns?"

"Shit, probably".

"Talking trees?"

"They don't talk, but I guess they're telepathic or whatever and might be evil".

"Now you're just messing with me".

Kyoko put up her hands in protest, "Swear to god".

Mami shot the two a _look_, the kind she reserved for inconsiderate classmates who were interrupting the lesson. Both girls shut up.

The monk shifted away the planetarium, and in its place formed a magnificent city; a circular wheel of eight segments and a central tower that reached to the heavens. As the zoomed in on the top of the tower, the girls could make out a group of robed figures performing a ceremony of sorts, "Long ago in the First Era, an order of heretical human mages calling themselves the Maruhkati Selective, as part of a wider attempt to 'purify' human culture of meric -or elven- influences, attempted to split the time spirit apart, separating his mannish Akatosh aspect from the merish Auri-El using forbidden magic. It...did not end well".

Kyoko and Nagisa digested the information; they remembered this from Neloth, but now had a bit more context to draw on and were now connecting more of the dots.

"...How do you mean?" Mami asked, genuinely fascinated by this.

"We call the event the 'Middle Dawn', in reference to the fact that it essentially sent Nirn temporarily spiraling back into the chaos of creation, before the laws of reality were established. In essence, the mages broke the dragon; roughly a thousand years of un-time ensued where anything and everything did happen, not necessarily in order. Cause and effect were mere guidelines, not facts. When it finally ended and linear time reasserted itself, no one could tell what had happened because everyone had a different story".

Madoka's expression had become extremely troubled as she seemed to understand everything the wizard was saying as well as the implications, "...You're telling me that when Homura pulled me apart something similar happened. Hope...broke?"

"I am working on Neloth's hypothesis and what little I know about The Event, but yes" Valtir said, "Did you have authority over your role when your friend pulled you apart?"

"...No" Madoka said helplessly, "By the time I regained my memories the universe was unraveling and falling apart. I thought it was because Homura was over-extending herself by trying to micromanage instead of just letting things be, but you're telling me it's because I wasn't there?"

"It may have been a mixture of both" the monk admitted, "But as Neloth surmised, what is the absence of Hope? Rather, if a Dragon Break resulted in un-time, then what would a Cycle Break entail?"

Madoka put her face in her hands with a shudder, "Despair. Oh, _Homura_".

"She was doomed from the start" Mami mused. Sayaka scoffed with an eye-roll.

The monk nodded, "Most likely".

"No offense, but some of us already knew this" Kyoko said, "You said you had answers. You and the dragon both said we messed shit up by coming here. How?"

The illusion shifted back to the planetarium as Valtir continued, "I'll be honest, plane-destruction is not well-documented. Most planes are small and insignificant; temporary byproducts of the chaos of Oblivion that fade in and out of existence. Larger intentional ones like the Daedric realms are inherently stable, as they _are_ the essences of their creators. You cannot remove, say, Azura, Daedric Lord of twilight and vanity from the realm of Moonshadow, because she _is_ that realm".

"Apologies" Mami interjected, "You keep using these terms. Aedra? Daedra?"

"Ah yes, my mistake" the monk said, "In merish terminology, Aedra are those spirits who aided in the creation of the Mundus—literally, 'our ancestors'. Daedra, such as yourselves, are those who did _not_ partake in creation and are foreign entities. They are generally freer to act as they did not bind themselves to Convention, but there are defenses in place to prevent a full daedric incursion—defenses which I may add, you simply bludgeoned your way through when you landed here. By all rights, you should not be here" he turned to Madoka, "The Law of Cycles was for all intents and purposes a daedric prince—the prince of Hope, though the way it interacted with your plane was more akin to how the aedra operate within the Mundus, which raises questions of its own".

"Ah...sorry?" Madoka said sheepishly, "I didn't mean to".

"Neloth said that's why we can't tap into our soul magic" Nagisa said, "Because it's foreign?"

"Precisely; a Daedric Prince normally cannot fully manifest themselves on Nirn. I don't know what happened to the rest of the Law of Cycles; it might be sealed within Madoka, she may have been again separated from it, it may still be out there adrift, or it may have been shattered along with your plane, but as long as Madoka is on Nirn, she as well as any aspects of hers—which I would assume you all count as, cannot use your inherent powers".

"Bummer" Kyoko muttered.

"Sorry" Mami interjected again, "Aspects?"

"The Law of Cycles was something of a gestalt, yes?" the monk asked Madoka, "It absorbed the souls of all magical girls past, present, and future?" Madoka nodded and Valtir continued, "The Law of Cycles was timeless. Therefore, even if things did not go according to plan, the simple fact that you have a soul gem meant that you were inextricably a part of it, even if, well, 'salvation' didn't occur for you directly within your particular series of events".

Mami leaned back. That...was quite a lot to process. "You're saying Kyoko and I were taken into the Law of Cycles...retroactively?"

"In a sense" Valtir said before sighing; it was time for the next stage, "...And that brings me to my reason for gathering you all together. You arriving on your own would have been cause enough for concern—but you did not arrive alone".

"...The meteor shower" Madoka said quietly.

Again the monk nodded, "Exactly. Your plane _shattered._ It did not simply cease to exist; rather some of it fell to Mundus, to Nirn. I would expect more shards scattered across the entire Aurbis—but here on Nirn specifically we are confirmed to have a problem".

Madoka gave him a wondering look—almost hope but laced with an attempt at denial, "...When you say shards..."

An image of something that looked like a Tamrielic soul gem but a bit larger appeared hovering over Valtir's outstretched hand, "Souls are above all else, _power._ They are energy, they are life, they are _magic_. They are by their very nature declarations of _what is_ and _what is not_. They are also highly sought after; essentially being currency for higher powers. When your world rained down on Nirn, it brought with it souls—hundreds of millions, perhaps billions of them, frozen and locked away in what we are calling 'world shards'. It is imperative that we find them before more unscrupulous parties begin to claim them. Allowing the balance of power to flip like this would be catastrophic".

But Madoka had stopped paying attention as soon has Valtir had mentioned that the souls of her universe were here, on Nirn, in fragments. She could…she could find them. She could save them. She...she could…

"I can save them" she said suddenly, cutting Valtir off as she looked him in the eye, her expression pleading, "Right? That's what you're telling me" she stood up and approached Valtir as her voice got more frantic, "I can save them. I can _fix this"._

"I..." the monk hesitated, surprised at the girl's sudden manic ferocity, "...I'm not sure".

"What do you mean?" Madoka asked, desperation flooding her voice, "You just said they're here, on Nirn_._ Right? That's what you said. I can...I can..." she trailed off putting her hands over her mouth as tears began to trickle down her face.

"...Madoka?" Sayaka asked in concern as she got up.

Valtir swallowed, choosing his words carefully, "...Your world as it was is gone. What's left are the souls and memories. It's…you would need to access the Law of Cycles once more to create a new realm".

"But it _is_ possible" Mami asked him to clarify, seeing Madoka's fragile mental state as Sayaka gently grasped the pinkette's shoulder.

"What _exactly_ are you asking us to do?" Sayaka asked the monk, supporting Madoka.

"Collect the world shards" Valtir replied, "Once that is done, optimistically I would like to see you leave the Mundus and restart elsewhere. If that's not possible then...at least I would see you recycle the souls properly".

"...Recycle?" Sayaka asked with disgust.

"Into the dreamsleeve. It's a process of sorts, in which unclaimed souls are renewed and re-purposed for the next world...in whatever form that takes".

"You want me to bury them" Madoka said, her voice that of a horse whisper, her eyes obscured by her bangs.

"I am sorry" Valtir replied honestly, "I truly am, but as I said, souls are power and leaving them for others to claim is irresponsible at best, and apocalyptic at worst. That said, isn't that what you did anyway?" he asked helpfully, "You were something of a psychopomp, yes? A ferrywoman for souls headed towards their resting place?"

No. It was nothing like that. This felt...colder. More final. Magical girls got their blissful slumber under her watch, and as a timeless being she had experienced all possible events simultaneously—for her, time was just as much of a direction as space. For as terribly cold and lonely and isolated as her role could be, nothing was _ever_ truly final and that was what kept her going. But this...no, she couldn't. She wouldn't. She didn't do it for this. She hadn't sacrificed _everything_ just to watch it all burn.

"No" she said.

"...Pardon?" Valtir asked.

She wiped her tears away and looked at him with a determined look on her face, "I won't do it. I won't leave them all. It's my world, my responsibility. I'll find a way to fix this. You said it's possible, right?"

"...Perhaps?" Valtir replied, sympathetic yet uncertain, "Ascension is no easy task, and fraught with more danger than perhaps even you know".

"I'll take that risk" Madoka said, putting on her best forced smile, "I've done it before. I'll do whatever it takes".

Sayaka gently clung to her shoulders with pride, while Mami gave a knowing, satisfied smile. Kyoko on the other hand slumped forward, her eyes hidden as the illusions of happiness she'd entertained last night went up in smoke. Nagisa had a troubled, distant look.

Valtir regarded the young woman—nay, the concept before him. Here she stood, pushing aside a potential breakdown, defiant with a radiant smile. She believed she could do what she said. More than that...he believed she could.

"...Yes" he said with a small smile, "I believe you will. Very well; you've convinced me" he looked over the group "Use today to rest up. Tomorrow with the Arch-Mage's permission" Brelyna nodded at him as he eyed her, "I will put all of you through intense training and study. Some of you already know a small smattering of spells; we will work to hone that knowledge as much as possible over the next few days".

"And after that?" Mami asked.

Valtir turned to her, "I intend to send you to the city of Solitude. There you will meet with another member of our Order who has already collected one shard and will direct you to more".

"...Wait..." Sayaka chuckled nervously as she let go of Madoka, "When you say 'studying'..."

"He means school, Sayaka. With books" Kyoko snorted, banishing away her darker thoughts as she turned her attention to one of her favorite pastimes: picking on Sayaka, "Y'know, like an egghead".

The bluenette sighed with resignation, "...I was afraid of that".

The redhead came over to her, a devilish grin on her face, "We've all been working hard for weeks while you were off napping. But don't worry" her eyes turned predatory, "I'll tutor you".

Sayaka began to _sweat._

* * *

Homura was pretty sure that this time, she was actually going to die.

"_There once was a hero named Ragnar the Red, who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead!  
And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade, as he told of bold battles and gold he had made!"_

Theodor had been singing the same bard song for three. _Hours._ He didn't even have a good voice; it was scratchy and off-key and he'd forget half the words only to remember them and then _go back_ and do it again. Once he'd even attempted to _rap_ the damn thing and Homura had wanted to curl up into a ball and just shoot herself.

"Can you stop singing that song?" she asked as he danced behind her jovially, "_Please?_"

He paused, briefly looking hurt but then the wide grin returned, "Ah, see? Manners are nice".

Homura breathed a sigh of sweet relief as her headache finally had a chance to abate.

...And then he started up a new song.

"_Welcome be you, merry drunkards!_

_Come along and drain your tumblers_

_Fifteen times they will be raised_

_So we start to count away_

_One mug for the joy of being_

_Two mugs for the clerics reading_

_Three mugs for the needy souls_..."

Homura resisted the urge to scream, but was thankfully stopped when she saw the sign.

"_Welcome to Frost Creek!"_

"_Finally"_ Homura sighed as Theodor's song trailed off.

"Think your friend's still here?" Theodor asked as they entered the sleepy village nestled within the swamp. A handful of kids were playing tag and the sounds of the nearby wood mill added some much-need ambiance to the otherwise silent swamp that had seen a recent snow.

"No" Homura replied, walking forward with purpose, "But I can pick up her trail. You, farmhand!" she pointed at a random passer-by as she directed herself towards him.

"Um..." the quiet middle-aged nord muttered, "I'm...actually a carpen-"

"Madoka Kaname, have you seen her? Pink hair, my age, slightly shorter than me" Homura asked in her usual cold fashion.

The nord backed up slightly in alarm at being suddenly accosted, "...Madoka…? Oh..." he thought for a second, "You mean the other akaviri girls? Yeah, she was here with her friends about a week, week and a half ago".

"Friends?" Homura asked him.

The nord shrugged, "Uh...a blonde girl and some poor girl with blue hair I think. I didn't really get to know them, but I think the blue one was injured somehow".

So, Mami and Sayaka had made it here as well with no sign of Kyoko or Nagisa—though at this point Homura would find it odd if they hadn't made it here; maybe they landed somewhere else? Also, Sayaka was injured, meaning the girl probably (and characteristically) had bitten off far more than she could chew. Still, that was confirmation enough for Homura that her mental prison had indeed ended when she'd lost her demon powers.

"Where did they go?"

"I'm...not sure, actually" the man said, "You should check with Bren and Aia; they run the apothecary up the street there" he pointed at one of the larger huts, "Can't miss it. The girls stayed with them for a bit, I'm sure they know where they went".

Homura glared into his eyes, her piercing stare unnerving him before she replied, "Very well, thank you". She turned and left, and Theodor gave the man a small bow with a wide smile that further unsettled him before he left and hurried down the street away from the weird visitors.

Homura marched down the street to the apothecary and was about to open the door when someone interrupted.

"Ah, Bren and Aia went took a day trip to Morthal for supplies, I think" an old man said, standing a few steps away, "Apologies, I don't think they'll be in today".

Homura grunted in annoyance; of course it wouldn't be that easy. Now she'd have to wait, and that would put her even further behind Madoka's trail. She turned to the old man, "And who are you?"

The old man chuckled, "Apologies, where are my manners. My name is Wulf, and you are…?"

"Homura Akemi" she gave the slightest of bows, "I'm looking for someone I know. Have you seen Madoka Kaname?"

Wulf's face lit up, "Ah, I should have known!" he said with a warm smile, "You're Homura. She told me so much about you".

Homura froze, "She...she did?"

"Spoke the world of you".

A blush crept across the black-haired girl's face despite herself before she shook her head in embarrassment, "Where—where did she go? Do you know?"

"They left for the College of Winterhold about a week and a half ago. They were hoping to find answers for a few of their questions...and their friends. If you hurry, you might be able to catch them".

The College. Homura did some rough mental calculations; Madoka would probably have just gotten there which meant that she had time to catch up. She paused; Theodor and Wulf were giving the other rather odd looks.

"Do...you two know each other?" she asked out of curiosity at the sudden tenseness.

"Of a sort" Wulf said.

Theodor grinned, "Old roommates, you could say. Brothers of another mother" he resisted a laugh at something only he found funny, "Going by Wulf these days, hm?"

"It suits me" the old man said, "How's Martin?" he asked warningly.

Theodor's eyes narrowed as the smile _dropped_, "How's Zurin?"

The two sized the other up for a moment, before Wulf nodded at Homura warmly, "It was good to meet you, Homura Akemi. I hope you find your friends". With that the old man left, casually strolling away.

Homura felt a little out of sorts. She wasn't used to being the one lacking information, "...What was _that_ about?" she asked Theodor.

The man laughed as his joviality returned, "Wulf? Ah, don't worry about him. He's a bit younger than he lets on and tends to get a bit _uppity_. Shall we?" he motioned to the road. Noting that she probably wouldn't get much out of him, Homura sighed and nodded, preparing to head back to Morthal so they could rejoin the main road; she'd hoped to get there by nightfall—the thought of spending a night at an inn with a real bed was tempting.

"One of your friends is injured, eh?" Theodor asked innocently.

Homura frowned, "She's not my friend".

"Isn't she?" the man mused, "Huh, you seem concerned at least".

"I'm not concerned" the girl glared at the ground in front of her, "She's troublesome and annoying. My life would be much easier without her".

"Oh really? What about the other girl? The blonde? Is she annoying too?"

Just as troublesome, but less annoying...more bittersweet? Tragic? Still not a friend, "Stop trying to psychoanalyze me" Homura said sharply, turning to him only to find he wasn't there.

"So what _are_ you gonna do when you meet up with Madoka again?" Theodor asked, now on her other side.

Homura nearly jumped, "What-" she composed herself, "The same as I always do. I'm going to protect her".

"How?"

"From a distance, whatever that entails" Homura said, "As long as she's safe and happy she's better off without me".

"From what?"

Homura paused even as she kept marching. She...didn't really have an answer. She wasn't a goddess anymore, she wasn't a magical girl anymore, there weren't any incubators...Madoka was capable, she knew that. She didn't have anything Madoka didn't, and Madoka even had Mami with her. Why was she following? Why was she still doing this?

She couldn't just let it go only to find out later she'd been killed though, could she? What else could she do?

"Huh, it seems like a waste of your time, is all" Theodor said when she didn't reply.

Homura glared at him, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you clearly don't like her".

"What?!" Homura exclaimed in disbelief, anger bubbling up.

Theodor mentally ticked off boxes, "Well, you don't like her friends, you apparently don't like her hobbies or whatever, you don't want to be near her, you hurt her but don't want to apologize-"

_Useless. Good-for-nothing. Liar. Blockhead. Coward. Coldhearted. Selfish. Stubborn. Stupid-looking. Evil. Filth, filth, filth. FILTH._

"Just s_hut. UP!"_ Homura demanded, wheeling around on the old man in frustration. She clenched her shaking hands into fists, trying to get her body under control. Her breath was shaky at the sudden burst of anger, pain, and self-resentment, "Just...stop talking for five _minutes!_" She _knew_ she was a monster; she didn't need it thrown back at her by some worthless nobody who intentionally misrepresented her thoughts and actions.

Theodor continued, seemingly oblivious to her pain, "Maybe you just want to control her. Like a puppet-"

With a flash of rage, the relatively small girl grabbed the larger man by the collar and pulled him down to her level, "How _dare_ you" she hissed.

"Am I wrong?" he asked, still smiling. Still with that damned _smile._

"What I want is for her to be _HAPPY" _Homura shouted at him as she threw him back, "I want her to LIVE and to GROW-UP and just enjoy her life!" she rubbed her temples as anger gave way first to frustration and then sorrow, "But every time I turn around, she _REFUSES_! She hurts, she knows she hurts, but she still chooses to suffer again and again and everything I do makes it worse and _I don't know what else to do_!" She'd tried being a friend. She'd tried being a teammate. She'd tried being the aloof protector. She'd tried being her prophet. She'd tried being the warden. She'd tried being the villain. She'd tried being the sacrifice.

It always led her back to square one.

Theodor's smile had faded. He looked down at the angry distraught teenager with what seemed to be a mixture of pity, disdain, and...nostalgia?

"Order is overrated" he said, uncharacteristically sober as he turned his attention towards the horizon, "Try to control everything around you, and it will blow up in your face every time. You'll go mad" he gave a small laugh, "Order fails because change is constant, and order has nowhere to change into except into disorder".

"You're...telling me to abandon her?" Homura said in disbelief, ice lacing her voice.

"I'm telling you to embrace a little bit of chaos. Things happen, people change. Sometimes they turn into giant dragon statues without even saying good-bye. Sometimes you _can't_ fix things, and you just have to live with that".

Homura considered his words, then blinked, "...Wait, what was that about dragon statues?"

"Dragon statues?" Theodor scoffed, "Nah, none around here. I don't think anyway. Nords don't much like dragons. Nords don't much like anyone that isn't a nord though, HAH!" and just like that Theodor was back to normal and Homura knew she wasn't going to get any further with him (something she was secretly grateful for), "...What were we doing? Oh, RIGHT. Morthal! Again! I love aimlessly pacing back and forth, onward!"

This time Theodor took up the front, and Homura walked silently behind him, mostly ignoring his endless stream of almost-certainly-false 'facts' and trivia (he mentioned something about flying 'snow whales') as she ruminated on everything, slightly baffled by what had just happened and by the man seemingly trying to offer real advice instead of just bad jokes. It was _bad_ advice, of course and she wasn't going to take it, but it was still...bizarre, even for Theodor.

For not the first time, she felt herself somewhat unnerved by the man. Why was he following her? What did he want? Why had he just abandoned his post with the Blades just to annoy a teenager? Why had the Blades recruited such an unstable man in the first place?

Could she trust him once she located Madoka? What if he wanted something with her? A serial killer maybe? He'd been asking a lot of questions. Now he was telling her to let Madoka go.

Homura's scowl deepened. She was probably going to have to find a way to _deal_ with him eventually.

* * *

Sayaka watched Madoka in the distance. The pinkette had removed herself from the group after the end of the meeting, and had spent most of their day of rest on the roof of the student hall, staring out towards the ocean. She'd let her hair down, surprisingly, and her red ribbons were clutched tightly in her hand.

"...Is she alright?" Mami asked, approaching the bluenette as she stood in the central courtyard.

Sayaka shook her head worriedly, "I dunno. She's been up there for hours, since lunch. She asked me if she could be alone and...she hasn't said anything since".

Mami frowned, "Hmm..." she blinked, "Where's Kyoko? I thought she'd be with you".

Sayaka shrugged, "She didn't want to stand watch all day. She's off hanging out with...Nagisa" the name rolled off Sayaka's tongue with a hint of bitterness. If Mami noticed, she didn't mention it.

Mami gave a laugh, "Those two really hit it off while we were away, didn't they?" her smile became more melancholic, "I guess I should have expected as much".

"Mmm" Sayaka muttered, looking towards the snow-covered ground. She idly began to balance herself on one leg.

"What do you think our chances are?" Mami asked her former student, "Of rebuilding our world, I mean".

Sayaka glanced at the blonde and stopped what she was doing. A slightly frantic chuckle escaped her lips, "...I dunno. At this point I'm following Madoka's lead because otherwise I'd be losing my mind thinking about it".

"...It is quite the burden, isn't it?" Mami asked as the two looked back up at Madoka's silent form.

Sayaka nodded solemnly, "...Yeah".

* * *

The cold sea air wafted gently against Madoka's cheeks. She breathed it in, letting the salty sensation burn down her throat as her free hair rustled behind her.

"_But God alone cannot have any of this"._

Homura's words to her echoed through her memories as she clutched the ribbons she'd given to the other girl while ascending, and then had been given back. Madoka wasn't stupid, she knew what it was: it had been a good-bye. A rejection. She just...didn't understand why. She didn't understand why Homura had done all this. It was all for her, she knew that but...Madoka didn't want _any _of this. She hadn't wanted Homura to torture herself, or burn the world down, or hurt their friends or...any of this.

Now that the thought of rebuilding their world had become an actual real possibility, Madoka found her thoughts drifting constantly back to Homura as well as her time as the Law of Cycles. It had been hard, it had been lonely, and it had been almost unbearable at times but...it had been _worth it._ Every time she did her job, every time she saw the relieved smile of a magical girl who would otherwise succumb to darkness, every time she beheld the wonders and vastness of the cosmos. She could never touch, she could never interact. But she saw it all in all its splendor and all of its possible configurations.

It had been worth it in spite of the crushing isolation. Except it was all gone now, like it had never mattered. As if it had all been in vain.

She wondered if she could have avoided this. Where did it all go wrong? Could she have made a better wish? Were there signs she could have seen that Homura was going to do what she did? Could she have fixed things at the very end by simply re-ascending instead of trying to take Homura away on the spot? Could she have not asked Homura for that promise to begin with? Why did it feel like everything she did only made things worse?

A small part of her; a dark, tired, and very human part wondered if she shouldn't just walk away. She was alive again, she could feel and experience. She could _be._ Some of her friends were alive. She could just hand the shards over to Valtir and let the Order take care of it. She could just give up. She could just stop meddling in things while she was mildly ahead, before even more people got hurt. An even smaller, darker part asked if she even wanted to endure it all again.

But that would mean abandoning everyone else, and she was pretty sure she couldn't live with that.

And yet despite what she'd said to the everyone, she wasn't even sure she _could _fix everything. The others believed in her. They were all counting on her. Why was she still so useless, even after all this?

She was a fraud.

Her mother was her hero, even now. Junko Kaname never stopped, never questioned, never surrendered. She worked long hours, came home late, accepted nothing less but perfection from herself, and presented nothing but confidence and excellence to the world around her. She wasn't home as much as she might have preferred to be, but what she did was important and she did it because she loved her family and she loved the world around her. Madoka had always wanted to live up to that ideal, to be that paragon, even if she had known she could never be that good.

...What would her mom think of her now, the girl who killed the world?

Madoka gently tucked the ribbons into her robe before putting her arms under her chin as she leaned over the parapet. She disagreed; they didn't look better on her after all.


	10. 1x09 Magic theory and application

**CHAPTER NINE: MAGIC THEORY AND APPLICATION**

* * *

It wasn't even dawn yet when the girls were woken up by Valtir. Sayaka groggily untangled herself from what was _apparently_ Kyoko's corpse as she remained dead to the world despite the wake-up call. Sayaka smiled wanly; the other girl had dropped into her bed without so much as a question after Sayaka had woken up in the middle of the night again.

"Hey, Kyoko, time to get up" she nudged the redhead, "Kyokooooo".

"_Mrrrrghghghghgfrl"_ Kyoko slurred as she refused to move, "Mornings are for dumb people..."

Sayaka rolled her eyes, then let a wicked smile cross her face as she got an idea and remembered she still needed to get back at Kyoko for the time she drew obscene gestures all over her face while asleep in class. Having perhaps too little of a sense of self-preservation, Sayaka stuck her finger in her mouth, and then directed it towards Kyoko's ear.

The resulting shriek filled the entire tower. A second later a flash of blue followed by flash of red sped around the circular hall of the floor of the dorms that had been reserved just for them as Sayaka giggled with a squeal.

"I WILL FUCKING _MURDER_ YOU!"

Mami looked out into the hall from her room and rolled her eyes good-naturedly, thankful that some things at least were returning to a semblance of normal. Madoka on the other hand was far less appreciative, yawning with bleary eyes as she stood at the doorway of her own room with mild disdain.

"...Are they at it again _already?"_

* * *

It took almost an hour to get the girls ready and out to the College training grounds. Valtir mused that it was a bit like herding cats. Not Khajiit, but actual house cats. They were all assembling now finally, but some of them still seemed half-asleep even as the cloudy sky's light clearly indicated that Day was well underway.

Sayaka dragged a still-drowsy Kyoko to the lineup that was assembling, then looked over at Madoka who hadn't bothered to do anything with her hair, instead letting it drop past her shoulders. Sayaka frowned; Madoka _always_ did her hair up.

"...No pigtails?" Sayaka her asked in both surprise and concern. Madoka had taken her ribbons out halfway through yesterday which had her worried, but Sayaka had kind of assumed they'd be back today. The fact that they weren't was disheartening.

Madoka's far-away expression shifted into a friendly smile, "I just...didn't feel like them today. Trying something new out. Is that bad?"

Sayaka shook her head, "No, just...I don't know the last time I saw you without pigtails. Are...you're okay, right?"

"I'm fine" she said with a smile before turning back to where Valtir was so Sayaka couldn't see her face, "...Maybe I'm just getting a little too old for pigtails".

Sayaka didn't believe her for a second, not least of all because talking to a former timeless entity about age was _insane_, but she knew better than to push it any further. Still, she looked so..._incomplete._ Half-formed. Sayaka had known her long enough to know she wasn't anywhere near 'fine'.

But then, whose fault was that? If Sayaka had actually been worth something at her job, none of this would have happened. But she'd choked up like she always did, and everyone had paid the price.

Story of her lives.

The training ground they all stood in was below the backside of the college, at the base of the rock pillar holding the castle up. It was rather spartan; just a large gravel beach flattened out for easy access. Valtir addressed them.

"Good, good. You're all here. Apologies for my shortness, but time _is_ of the essence. The next few days of training will be intense and-" a sudden loud snore cut him off. Everyone looked to the source to find that Kyoko had somehow fallen asleep while standing up. Mami frowned and gave her a jab to her side.

Kyoko shot awake with a snort, "-But it's _my_ turn to carry the collection...plate..." she whined, then paused as reality caught up with her. Everyone was looking at her with amusement aside from Valtir. Sayaka snorted, resisting the urge to laugh. Kyoko blushed in embarrassment as she bared her teeth, "Not. A _word_" she said to the others threateningly.

Valtir coughed, _"As I was saying…_I intend to use the next few days not just to hone your skills, but to also give you the information you need to survive Tamriel and succeed in your mission. To that end, I have requisitioned not just this training field, but also the assistance of the College's staff as your training unfolds".

"So what's first?" Sayaka asked, "Fireballs? Flight? Glowing laser swords?"

The Altmer smiled as he summoned a number of ghostly images of enlarged textbook pages behind him, "Modern magic theory and application".

Sayaka, Kyoko, and Madoka all collectively groaned. Mami was impassive. Nagisa was actually pretty excited, but kept her reaction tapered down.

"Some of this some of you will no doubt already know from your time here already, and thus this will be something of a review. Others" Valtir glanced at a suddenly bashful Sayaka "Will need to use this to catch up. Pay attention, or there _will_ be a quiz".

Another round of groans.

Valtir ignored them, "To start with, what we call magic is simply energy. It is what everything is ultimately made of. Just as life is fire and memory is water, magic is _light"._

"You...mean like, literally?" Sayaka asked.

"Metaphor and truth are often two sides of the same coin" Valtir said, "But yes. The light that exists ephemerally, that lets you see the world around you, is magic granted from Aetherius via the holes in the veil of Oblivion left by Magnus, the architect of the Mundus, and his followers when they left this realm. It's why the pool of magic within you and everything else constantly regenerates".

"...So that explains it" Madoka said gently, looking down at her spotless soul gem.

Mami's attention was drawn to something else the wizard had said though, "...What holes are you referring to?"

"...The sun and stars, of course" Valtir said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Everyone gave Valtir looks ranging from confusion to outright bafflement.

"What?!"

"Huh?"

"Wait, what?"

"Woah, hold up".

"Are..." Madoka tried to wrap her mind around _that_ revelation, "Are you trying to tell us the sun is...a hole in the sky?"

"To the realms of Aetherius, yes" Valtir replied, not entirely sure why this was a shock to them, "...Were your sun and stars not like this?"

"I know I slept through most of science class, but I'm _pretty_ sure that's not how stars work" Sayaka muttered to herself.

"Our stars were giant balls of burning gas" Mami said, a bit dumbstruck.

The Altmer's eyebrow arched, "That seems...ineffective. How did they provide new energy?"

"They uh...mostly consumed it" Madoka said, scratching the back of her head.

Valtir's expression became even more perplexed, "Then...where did your plane's magic come from?"

The girls all looked at each other uncomfortably. Madoka absently rubbed her soul gem ring, "It's...complicated" she said, not really wanting to get into the specifics about how their universe had mostly been trying to cannibalize itself. This did raise some uncomfortable questions for her though: if magic was so freely available here (and presumably elsewhere in Oblivion), then why had her realm been so rationed? Why hadn't Aetherius shone on her universe?

If there had been free magic, free energy, then none of this would have been needed.

Valtir saw their troubled looks and decided not to press it, "Very well, back to the topic at hand. Over the eras the study of magic and how we perceive it has changed and shifted, but you should always, _always_ be aware that the methods we use to classify magic are simply artificial labels we have constructed to make it easier to discuss".

He walked over to one of his holographic text pages, "Aside from alchemy and enchanting, in modern magical studies there are generally five recognized schools of study with regards to spell-casting: Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Conjuration, and Illusion". He stopped and turned back to the girls as J'zargo arrived on the field and gave a nod.

"Shall J'zargo demonstrate?"

* * *

"_The Destruction School, aptly named, is focused around spells that deal damage. This includes elemental manipulation, but also life and magic-draining abilities, as well as spells that make the target more vulnerable to other spells"._

Kyoko and Mami swung in towards J'zargo in tandem, but the accomplished mage was ready for them. The Khajiit blocked the incoming volley of lightning bolts from Mami easily enough with his ward before Kyoko was on him—her fists literally streaming fire. The two traded blows with J'zargo blocking her attacks each in turn with smaller ward spells covering his paws.

"Excellent!" he said, "Apprentices usually don't realize they can fight in melee with elemental spells until they're in their second year. J'zargo is impressed! However-"

With literal catlike reflexes, J'zargo flipped himself around, twisting over Kyoko. She moved to re-orient herself and go back on the attack, but that was all the time he needed to pull out a small scroll. A second later, the entire arena around him _exploded_ and Kyoko was sent flying back in a heap. Mami launched herself in to even the odds, but the smoke obscured her vision, and very soon she found herself rooted to the ground with the ice that now encased her feet—she'd stepped into an ice rune J'zargo had left behind.

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Mami was too late to notice the block of ice coming right at her that sent her hurdling.

"...No one is as good as J'zargo" the cat purred, cleaning his middle claw with his thumb claw. He grinned as the two girls pulled themselves up, "Shall we go again?"

The response he got was two teenagers nodding at the other and then throwing themselves at him once more.

* * *

"_The Restoration School is in many ways the opposite of Destruction, with its focus on healing and protection spells like wards. However, anti-necromancy spells also belong in this school, as well as a number of 'holy' spells that revolve around the purifying power of sunlight"._

"Okay, hit me!" Sayaka yelled now that she had her ward up.

Madoka grimaced, a lightning spell in her hand, "Are...are you sure about this?"

"Come on, I've had worse! You _know_ I've had worse!" her friend told her.

"That's...not putting me at ease" Madoka said, still very unsure about this.

"Oh just shoot her already" said Kyoko from the sidelines, "Maybe it'll shut her up".

"...Alright" Madoka reluctantly aimed.

Sayaka stuck her tongue out at Kyoko, "You're just mad about the wet wi-" Sayaka's voice turned into a long wheezing breath when she felt the electricity impact her knee and jolt through to the other side. Her eyes rolled up behind her head in pain before she went down hard into the dirt, her body twitching.

"Sayaka!" Madoka shouted in horror, her hands going to her mouth in guilt and shock. Kyoko began to laugh as hard as she could without passing out.

"SHIT".

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Madoka exclaimed, mortified.

"WHY THE KNEE?!" Sayaka was clutching the wound even while her body spasmed, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING FOR THE CHEST!"

"I didn't want to hurt you!"

"GOOD JOB".

Kyoko was still howling with laughter.

Valtir sighed, then nodded at the Altmer woman who served as the College's Restoration Master. With an eye roll she headed over to Sayaka to fix the damage.

"Luckily" Valtir said, his hands behind his back, "We have an accomplished healer on station".

* * *

"_Alteration changes the world around you. The physical laws shift and change, but within reason. These kinds of spells are more utility-based; things like walking on water, levitation, waterbreathing, and spells that increase your speed and durability"._

"We can _literally _turn iron into gold" Sayaka said, dumbstruck.

"I take it back: this is the best world ever" Kyoko said with a wide grin as the group watched the Breton mage complete his example and all of the iron ore that had been deposited turned to brilliant gleaming yellow.

Mami turned to Valtir with _so many questions_, "...How on earth does your economy work?"

* * *

"_Conjuration allows you to summon creatures and items directly from the realms of Oblivion. They are bound to your will and forced to fight on your behalf"._

The girls looked on at the group of pet atronachs that surrounded the elderly female Bosmer mage. One was a colossal ice creature not unlike a glacier, another was more akin to a graceful dancer if she were on fire and had blackened to a crisp, and the last looked like a collection of boulders welded together by the lightning that danced around its loose form. The girls had on their faces a collection of mildly uncomfortable and disapproving looks.

"These creatures" Madoka asked Valtir, "Are they...sentient?"

"Usually, yes. To some degree, anyway" he said, "If I may add some of my own thoughts on the matter; Conjuration is a...divisive school, one I'm not entirely a fan of myself".

The girls looked at each other, wordlessly sharing their discomfort with one another before looking back at the Altmer with their decision.

"We'll pass" Madoka said, "Sorry".

* * *

"_Illusion is exactly what it says it is: unlike Alteration, Illusion seeks to change perception rather than the truth. This allows the mage to be a bit more creative, having less restrictions on what they can and can't do. You can alter an enemy's will to fight by altering what they see and feel, turn invisible, blind a target with light, or do any other number of impressive feats"._

Nagisa stood in the center of the gravel field, eyes closed and concentrating.

"Just like that, concentrate" Valtir said as the others watched from a safe distance, "Now...express what you visualize inside your mind. Show it to us".

The nine-year-old charged up her hands with a spell. A moment later she was gone, and instead a very familiar twenty-foot-tall snake-like creature with the face of a clown bared down at the assembled group with a manic, cartoonish grin.

Valtir's brow furrowed, "...What in Oblivion?"

"It's uh...sort of an alter-ego of hers" Madoka said with a bashful smile.

* * *

_"While not a school per-say, enchanting is a vital skill to know and have. It is the process by which we use souls to imbue weapons and talismans with magical powers and abilities"._

Nagisa silently looked down at the frog and Tamrielic soul gem laying down on the table before her with trepidation and discomfort. The group found themselves in the apprentice labs, a small windowless room full of tables and alchemy equipment beneath the student dorms.

"...Kinda reminds you of dissection day at school, huh?" Sayaka quipped with a bit of uncomfortable nervousness as her gaze shifted from her own frog to Madoka who was standing next to her.

Madoka gave a slight whine as unpleasant memories bubbled up, "...Mr. Hoppity".

"Okay so, I stabbed the frog" Kyoko said, holding up her bloody surgical knife as her frog lay lifeless in a pool of blood, "Now what?"

Valtir eyed her, "...You were supposed to put the soul gem next to it, attune it, and capture the soul at the moment of death".

Kyoko looked down at the mess she'd made, "...Oh. Oops".

"Done and done!" Mami said with a hint of satisfaction. Her Tamrielic soul gem faintly glowed with life. There was hardly even any blood in her pan somehow.

Kyoko looked over at her with a hint of annoyance, "...Why are you always perfect?" Mami laughed with embarrassment in response.

"...I'm not _that_ perfect..."

"So...we're all just _ignoring_ the fact that we're just doing the same thing the Incubators did to us, right?" Sayaka said with unease. She sighed and set her knife down, "I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this". Madoka sighed with relief, thankful that someone else had said it.

Kyoko and Mami both looked down at their frogs as the unfortunate realization set in. The redhead tossed her knife onto the table, "Damn it".

"...We used to be able to enchant objects with our own power" Mami noted with a hint of bitterness.

Valtir glanced around in confusion at the sudden shift in mood, "...I'm not sure I understand. What's wrong?"

The girls shared an uncomfortable look before Madoka sighed, "When we said that our plane's magic was...complicated...what we mean is, I don't think the magic from Aetherius ever reached us".

Valtir blinked in confusion, "That...shouldn't be possible. Aetherius reaches everything".

Sayaka's expression was downcast, "Well, not us. Our universe was slowly dying from a lack of energy. A race calling themselves the 'Incubators' found a solution" she clutched her soul gem.

It didn't take long for the Psijic monk to put the pieces together, "...They were using you as batteries. But souls shouldn't produce enough magic to counteract entropy all on their own".

"Something about the emotions of teenage girls could produce high amounts of energy" Madoka said, "That's how this all got started in the first place".

Sayaka managed a smirk, "Then they got greedy. That's how Madoka became a god". The pinkette fidgeted with a hint of nervousness.

The monk's gaze shifted over the group. He got the distinct impression that the Incubators' plot hadn't been entirely consensual. Well, this certainly explained a lot, even if it only created even more questions, "...I see. Then this demonstration was in poor taste and for that I apologize. That said, even if you aren't enchanting your items directly, you're going to want someone to do it for you, and you're going to need a supply to keep recharging them. In your line of work, you cannot afford to go without". When the girls continued to steal uncomfortable glances from one another he added gently, "This isn't the same thing. Trapping sentient souls is frowned on, illegal in most places, and mostly only used in necromancy. What we do to animals is little different than using them for meat or fur".

"...You said they go to the 'Ideal Masters'?" Nagisa said quietly, speaking up for the first time since they had started. She was still grappling with the morality of it all.

Valtir shook his head, "Only black sentient souls. White animal souls are almost certainly reabsorbed into the dreamsleeve for re-use".

"I see" Nagisa said, "That's good...I suppose".

Valtir grimaced at the dark mood that had settled over everyone. This had been an incredibly bad idea on his part. "Why...don't we all take a break?" he said, "Try something else?"

* * *

"_You must also be aware of the many dangers that will be waiting for you. You are not the only Lord of Oblivion; there are many others, and some of them have a vested interest in the Mundus. You must know each of them, what they stand for, and how to deal with each one should you encounter them. They will attempt to bully, bribe, or otherwise manipulate you into doing their bidding...or worse"._

"Namira" Mami said, looking over the flashcard. She stood in the College courtyard, flashcards in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Opposite of her was Sayaka who had her hands behind her head with a frustrated expression as she paced.

"Uh...that was the light one, right? She hates undead?"

"That's Meridia" Madoka said from her spot on the steps leading into the College main hall. She had a book in her lap but was still paying attention.

Sayaka sighed and gave another answer, "Uh...nightmares?"

"That's Vaermina" Mami sighed, "Namira is the patron of decay and darkness".

"Literal entropy" Madoka muttered to herself with a frown before taking a sip of her own tea, "She seems nice".

"Let's try another one" Mami flicked around another flashcard with her thumb, "Mephala".

"Ugh, why are these names all the same!?" Sayaka groaned, rubbing her eyes as she paced, "Uh...betrayal, right? Conspiracy? 'Secret plots'?"

"That's Boethiah. Mephala's sphere is obscured to mortals, but she's linked to schemes, sex, and murder".

"So it's the same damn thing!" Sayaka exclaimed in frustration, "Come on!"

Kyoko, currently leaning against a pillar, eyed her with a shit-eating grin, "Come on Sayaka, even _you_ should be able to name at least _one _of them. There's like twenty".

"You didn't do much better, Kyoko" Mami said with a glare, "Honestly, you both need to take this seriously". Sayaka inwardly recoiled; she _was _trying, she'd just never been particularly good at school, especially before she died. Then again she could probably say that about a lot of things, as it turned out.

Kyoko shrugged with nonchalance, "Don't look at me, I topped out at sixth grade".

"Yeah, Kyoko's lucky she can read" Sayaka said with a laugh, right before a snowball beaned her in the head. She stumbled and then glared back at Kyoko, who was already scooping up snow for a second throw. Sayaka dodged, "You realize of course, _this means war"._

Mami sighed as the snowball fight began and headed over to where Madoka was reading, well aware _this_ lesson was over. She'd make them pay for it later.

"What are you reading?" she asked Madoka.

Madoka became somewhat nervous as mild panic spread over her face, "Ah, hah...it's nothing just...something I found in the library..."

"..._The Lusty Argonian Maid"_ Nagisa read, having suddenly appeared on Madoka's other side, laying down on the steps backwards so she could see the book cover.

Mami gasped as Madoka's face went beet-red. Madoka slammed the book closed and held it close to her chest, "I uh...it was...you don't..."

On the other side of the courtyard, Sayaka had somehow wrestled Kyoko to the ground and was now shoving her face into a snow bank.

"What's 'lusty' mean?" Nagisa asked.

Mami stared disapprovingly at Madoka, "Nagisa, isn't it about time to wash up for dinner?" she asked, a bit too quickly.

"But it's like, three in the-"

"Go wash up!"

Nagisa's expression flattened, "Oh, it's one of _those_ things, isn't it? Gross". She got up and left (But certainly _not_ to wash up).

Madoka glanced at Mami's look before flinching slightly and hiding the book away on her other side, "Ah...it's...you see...are we going to do something about them?" she asked with a nervous chuckle, changing the subject by pointing to the two girls halfway across the courtyard. Kyoko had gotten the upper hand and currently had Sayaka in a lock, using her advantage to shove snow down the squealing girl's pants. Sayaka grabbed Kyoko's ponytail and _yanked._

Mami's attention was successfully diverted. She sighed as she walked back over, "Honestly, you two are going to get hypothermia!"

"She started it!" they blasted in stereo.

Madoka cautiously re-opened her book and began to sneak a few more paragraphs in while Mami was busy.

* * *

The dwemer centurion smashed its hammer hand into the gravel, nearly crushing Nagisa had Kyoko not dived in at the last second and rescued her with a well-timed dodge. As the two of them rolled out of the way, the giant golden colossus was struck dead on by a twin-lightning attack by Mami and Madoka, causing it to stagger just slightly. This gave Sayaka the chance she needed to come down hard with her twin swords, jamming them into the would-be throat of the mechanical beast.

And that was when the mouth opened, and Sayaka was blasted away by a boiling-hot steam breath. She landed in a heap, her burns luckily not as bad as they could have been thanks to a last-second ward spell.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko shouted.

"...I'm okay!" the other girl warbled back as she staggered to her feet. She began to apply a healing spell, but then her eyes widened, "KYOKO, LOOK OUT!"

The giant angry robot was about to swing its axe arm at Kyoko. She brought up her spear and prepared to block, but the robot arm suddenly found itself literally tied up thanks to Mami—the blonde had had the College rig up a series of chain whips and bolts for her wrist crossbow, and now she was holding the robot's limb hostage, "Madoka!"

"Right!" Madoka brought up her bow, notching two arrows together, each wrapped inside one of J'zargo's custom firebomb scrolls. The twin shots exploded off the robot's golden armor, but didn't seem to do more than leave scorch marks. The robot then yanked back, pulling Mami into the air. She shifted her body around and landed feet-first on the arm before pulling out a short sword and stabbing at the joints.

The _plan_ had been for the girls to fight a number of lesser Dwemer automatons; Valtir had been hoping for a group of mechanical spiders or spheres. But instead the apprentices Brelyna had sent into the old ruin had somehow managed to wrangle a centurion of all things and teleported it to the training grounds with a recall spell—by which point it was too late to do anything about it.

Still, the girls seemed to be holding themselves well, if for no other reason than their extensive existing combat skills and ability to work together. So as the battle wore on, Valtir was becoming somewhat less concerned.

Mami hung on for dear life as the robot tried to swat her away, even as Madoka continued to circle the monster and deliver more potshots.

"So...this isn't very 'Narnia'" Sayaka said to Kyoko as the former finished patching herself up.

"Robots? Nah, this place gets weirder and weirder every day" Kyoko agreed.

"It's kind of Jules Verne-esque" Nagisa said, lining up with the other two, the small war hammer she'd picked out before the battle in her hand.

Kyoko shook her head, "I...have no idea what that is".

"And I don't care" Sayaka grunted, doing her best to ignore and/or shoo off Nagisa, though part of her immediately regretted how harsh it had come out when the younger girl flinched. Kyoko frowned and changed the subject to save Nagisa from Sayaka's wrath.

"So, double-team?" she asked Sayaka as Mami avoided being turned into paste as the robot finally threw its arm down right before she got off and landed a short distance away.

Sayaka grinned and brandished her swords, "Double-team".

Kyoko flashed her a grin in return, then gave Nagisa a reassuring wink and a thumbs up before the two girls shot off like rockets, flanking the large robot on each side. Nagisa watched them rush after the centurion and couldn't help but feel a little out of place, a fact only exacerbated by Sayaka's coldness towards her.

Did she deserve to be here?

From a distance, Brelyna and Onmund watched as the girls took the robot to task like a pack of wolves against a mammoth.

"Thoughts?" the Dunmer asked her old Nord friend.

Onmund crossed his arms, "They're..._impressive._ In just a few days they went from novices to being near equals to second year apprentices on magic alone, never-mind their extensive martial skills". It was truly surreal; these girls half his size were fighting with a flair and technical skill rivaling well-trodden adventurers.

"Jealous?" Brelyna asked with a smirk, remembering how hard of a time he'd had when they'd been students.

The Nord laughed earnestly, "A bit, yeah. It's just so strange, you almost forget they're just children sometimes when you watch them in action".

"You were there at the meeting" Brelyna said, "They're not just kids anymore. They're something _Else_".

"...It's kind of sad when you think about it" Onmund said quietly as the red and blue girls traded off blows, attacking the colossus in tandem like clockwork. The pink girl loosed another volley, "You know, having your childhood stolen like that. They should be learning to work their parents' farm, getting into trouble at the tavern, falling in love. Not...changing the fate of Oblivion itself".

The automaton prepared for another strike, but suddenly ice exploded over the robot's feet and froze it to the ground: it had tripped a rune courtesy of Mami. She flipped back, getting out of its range as the girls regrouped.

"I'm not sure whittling down its hitpoints is working" Kyoko frowned, "We're just wasting ammo. There's gotta be a weak spot".

"Not sure video game logic is going to work here" Sayaka said, "I'm just really glad it doesn't have ranged weapons. Then we might be in trouble"

On cue, the centurion shifted and two small ballista flipped over onto its shoulders. Kyoko gave Sayaka a death glare.

"Everyone SCATTER!" Mami ordered, right before bolts that could puncture a car went flying.

"Oh, RANGED WEAPONS WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT" Kyoko shouted as she ran, evading the bolts crashing into the gravel, "WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE C-3PO OVER THERE ANY MORE IDEAS SAYAKA!?"

"Shutting up!" Sayaka wisely replied as she ran.

"We need a plan!" Madoka said, moving out of the robot's firing arc.

Nagisa appeared out of thin air behind the centurion's head, war hammer in hand as she slammed the instrument into the robot's skull with all of the strength her enhanced body would provide. It spun around on its abdomen axis and the hammer arm rammed itself into the still-in-midair Nagisa who was sent hurdling back. She almost fell into the freezing ocean had it not been for Mami grabbing her with a chain and then throwing her back to the gravel beach. Nagisa hit the ground running just as her oakflesh spell wore off.

The centurion finally hacked itself out of its icy cage and began to move again, though smoke and sparks were now spurting from the impact Nagisa had left, its helm now dented and cracked.

"I think we found our weakspot!" Kyoko said, pointing with her spear.

Mami's eyes narrowed as everything came together, "Sayaka, Kyoko—keep it distracted and focused on you. Madoka? Covering fire. Nagisa, with me!"

"Meat puppets, got it!" the redhead said as she and Sayaka high-fived and sped off towards the giant robot. It aimed its bolt launchers at the two girls, but before it could get off another shot Madoka had loosed her last two exploding arrows, rendering the two shoulder weapons little more than burnt metal. The force of impacts sent the machine lurching forward, giving Sayaka and Kyoko a chance to get up close and personal.

"What's the plan?" Nagisa asked Mami as Kyoko jammed her spear into the centurion's neck.

Mami smiled, "You're going to take its head off".

Kyoko switched out with Sayaka and the latter came in swinging, landing a couple of ineffectual blows with her sword before evading a swing from the robot and throwing an ice spike into the machine's abdomen. The machine brought its hammer down, only to be blocked by Kyoko's spear as Madoka sent a sharp spear of ice flying at the robot's feet, the left one buckling as the robot dropped to its knee. When the robot moved to counter Kyoko with its axe arm, Sayaka trapped the blade between her twin swords. Kyoko twisted herself around, pinning the robot's hammer arm to the ground.

"Now?" Nagisa asked, holding the end of one of Mami's chains. She had once again cast oakflesh over herself for extra protection.

"Now!"

Nagisa began to run around Mami as the latter picked up speed and soon enough Nagisa was airborne, propelled by centripetal force as Mami spun faster and faster.

"NOW!"

On her next spin around, Nagisa let go and shot herself off like a bullet, hammer in front as she braced for impact.

And impact she did; the centurion's head was ripped clean off, shattering into pieces as Nagisa tore through like an unstoppable force. She hit the ground with her feet, skidding to a stop before balancing herself so she didn't fall. Steady, she turned back and gave Mami a tired thumbs-up.

Sayaka and Kyoko let go of the headless robot's arms and wisely backed off as it sparked and sputtered, its limbs going crazy before its internal bits began to break down and an explosion tore apart its interior. Black smoke began to rise out of the machine and with one last lurch back forward it finally gave up the ghost, dropping first to its knees and then crashing into the ground chest-first altogether. After a few more increasingly feeble sparks it became entirely lifeless.

"Hell yeah!" Kyoko shouted in victory, putting her arm around Sayaka with a wide grin. The latter quickly returned it.

Madoka dropped into a sitting position in relief as Nagisa went over to Mami who gave her a reassuring head-pat.

"Good job, everyone!" Mami said with a relieved smile. Despite _everything_, they still had well-oiled teamwork, "The Holy Quintet is back in action!"

"We are _not _bringing that name back" Kyoko said flatly.

Valtir approached, nodding with approval, "Excellent. _Excellent._ I was a bit worried about throwing you to a centurion, but you took it apart like a school of slaughterfish. You are ready, though I will be sending a number of books with you to further your studies. Tomorrow you will embark for Solitude; I have chartered a reliable ship that will get you there within a week" he smiled knowingly at Madoka and Mami, "No fishing boats this time, I promise". The two girls sighed with relief.

The monk continued, "If that's everything, then you are all free to go. Rest, relax. You've done well". The group quickly scattered; all of them back up to the castle.

* * *

One of the greatest pleasures in life, Kyoko decided, was a nice, long, warm bath. The redhead stepped out of the washroom into the main hall of their reserved floor of the student dorms, wrapped in a large towel. She gently cracked her spine in contentment.

"Long enough bath?" Sayaka asked with an eyeroll, "Some of the rest of us want a turn too".

"Aw, quit bitching" Kyoko said with a grin, "I left you some hot water".

Sayaka glanced at the tub full of dirty water that she'd have to empty out before she could use it, "...You're not as funny as you think you are" she said flatly.

"I'm _hilarious_" Kyoko replied with a grin. She paused as Sayaka headed to the washroom so she could empty out the tub and start her own bath, "...Hey" she said, her voice more serious now, "Do you want me to sleep with you tonight?"

Sayaka knew she was referring to the nightmares, but a blush still crept up over her face at Kyoko's unintentional choice of wording. She shook her head, standing at the doorway to the washroom, "...Nah, I think I'll be fine. I don't want to be a burden".

Kyoko flashed her a concerned smile, "Alright. Let me know if you change your mind, huh?"

Sayaka nodded and gave her a thankful grin, "Thanks for always having my back, Kyoko". She shut the door to the washroom. Kyoko's face fell a bit.

"I...yeah" she said, uncertain.

"...You need to tell her" Mami said with worry once Sayaka was out of earshot, sitting at the small desk just inside her room. She put down the book she'd been reading.

Kyoko frowned, "Didn't we go over this already? I ain't telling her shit".

Madoka, currently reading her own book on her bed, sat up in concern, "...Tell Sayaka what?"

The other two girls glanced at Madoka, and then Kyoko gave Mami a look that said '_are you stupid_?', "Thanks a lot".

"...Guys?" Madoka asked, concerned. She got off her bed and walked over to them.

Kyoko grunted, giving Mami an expectant gesture before she headed over to her own room to throw on some clothes, "Well? Might as well spill the beans".

Mami sighed as she realized she'd messed up, "Kyoko and Nagisa...sided with Homura" there was an edge to her voice. Kyoko looked up at the implied judgment and glared as if it could be felt through the wall at Mami.

"...Oh" Madoka said uncomfortably, suddenly fidgeting with her hand, "I had kind of assumed, considering where things stood when I showed up". Kyoko cradling Sayaka's body. Nagisa fleeing in shame at the sight of Madoka. Mami injured and on the ground.

Mami looked down, away from Madoka, "...Sayaka came to us looking for help when Tart's reinforcements arrived. She told us everything and brought back our memories. Then Kyoko went and told Homura what was happening" Kyoko's mood tanked as Mami explained, "...Sayaka doesn't know".

In her own room, Nagisa silently cringed at the tone of Mami's words and her implied judgment and curled up, hoping to lose herself in her own book and trying her best to not pay attention; something she was failing at as she kept reading the same line over and over.

Bad, uncomfortable thoughts kept popping up despite herself. She didn't belong here. She'd messed everything up.

Madoka looked in Kyoko's direction as the implications set in: Kyoko had turned Sayaka in. Homura had hurt Sayaka, and Sayaka was already livid at Nagisa for accepting Homura's new world at the start instead of helping her.

...If Sayaka found out…

Oh.

_Oh._

"You make it sound like I turned traitor or something" Kyoko grumbled at Mami as she got dressed.

Mami's sad expression hardened, "Isn't that exactly what you did?"

Madoka and Mami heard a _thud_ as Kyoko threw her towel on the floor and came out in a pair of college pants and an undershirt—her sleepwear, an angry expression on her face, "I kept her from doing something _stupid!_ She had everything and she was just going to give it all up again, because she's _Sayaka Miki _and she only ever makes good choices when they're all she has left, and sometimes not even then!"

"So you went behind her back, got her captured, and then lied to her face about it" Mami retorted, anger beginning to rise in her own voice at Kyoko's denseness.

"I didn't lie" Kyoko replied, a bit taken aback by the accusation, "I just...haven't told her everything".

Mami's eyes narrowed, "How very Kyubey of you". When Kyoko only tisked in response Mami continued, "You can't determine the desires of other people for them. Kyoko, you of all people should know this!" she exclaimed, a hint of exasperation building in her voice as she couldn't believe she was having to explain something so simple. Then again, Kyoko's stubbornness could only be matched by Sayaka's.

Kyoko's gaze turned to ice when Mami invoked her family, "Don't you _dare"._

"I'm just saying, sometimes you just have to let things go" Mami said, trying her best to calm herself down and keep from escalating things with the redhead. She was trying to _convince_ Kyoko, not scream her away, "People die, we live on. You can't change the past. You can't change what's been done".

"Oh don't give me that cheesy therapist crap!" Kyoko yelled at her, "Sayaka's alive and in the goddamn washroom right now! She _came back_. She _chose_ to come back. All I did was keep her from committing suicide a second time which—forgive me, I'm a little uneducated, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to do that, right!? If someone's about to jump off a building, you _stop them!_"

Madoka interjected herself, trying to keep tensions from inflaming further and trying to speak on Sayaka's behalf, "Sayaka believed in what she was doing. She didn't have any regrets, and as the assistant to the Law of Cycles" Madoka smiled at the memories of the occasions Sayaka was woken up from her slumber, "She was so proud. So sure of herself for the first time".

Kyoko turned on Madoka, "And what about her just being Sayaka?" she asked as her voice became more strained, more frantic, "What about her life? The people she left behind? Her family? Her _friends_?!" her eyes began to water. Madoka looked away, uncertain. For not the first time, she lamented the loss of the perspective the Law of Cycles had provided.

"We don't get to make that choice, Kyoko!" Mami said angrily, "We don't decide who lives and dies! We're not-" she trailed off when she realized they were, in fact, in the presence of an ex-god.

Kyoko caught on to the other girl's slip-up and pressed her attack, "Bull_shit_. Isn't that exactly what we're doing? Raising the dead? Building a whole new world for them like good little girls?"

"That is _completely_ different-"

"Homura didn't seem to think so" Kyoko said, cutting Mami off with a cold glare.

Mami glared right back, "Homura destroyed the universe" she said lowly.

Kyoko folded her arms and looked away petulantly, "Well, maybe it deserved to be".

Mami and Madoka's eyes both widened in shock at that. Mami replied, "...You don't mean that".

"Maybe I do!" Kyoko said, turning away with a huff as she grabbed her boots and began to put them on, "It was a shitty place that only ever stole from me" she paused, looking back at Mami, "From _us"._

That hurt, but Mami wasn't done, "Kyoko, you can't walk away from this!" she exclaimed as the other girl finished putting her boots on and headed for the stairwell.

"The hell I can't. Watch me!" Kyoko yelled before slamming the door to the stairs shut behind her.

Nagisa had curled up into a ball, her book laying abandoned on the other side of the bed. She'd tried to ignore the argument but the truth was clear: Mami might greet her with smiles and headpats, but at the end of the day she still thought that Nagisa being here was a mistake, something that shouldn't have happened.

She could faintly hear her mother screaming the same things at her in her memories.

They'd never known her for real. It was all a lie; she'd forced herself into their lives. Nagisa just laid there silent in bed, hoping to remain ignored by the other occupants of the floor.

Mami sighed with exasperation and leaned back in her seat, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She adored Kyoko, she really did, but sometimes the redhead was such an aggravating problem to deal with. A moment later a very wet Sayaka came out of the washroom in a towel, "...Can't a girl take a bath in peace? What the heck's going on out here?"

Madoka and Mami shared a look. Mami gave a tired smile as she shook her head at Sayaka, "It's nothing just, Kyoko being….Kyoko".

"Sounds like Kyoko" Sayaka said with a chuckle, "Want me to go hunt her down?"

Mami nodded encouragingly, "I'm sure it would help make her feel better".

With a wave of acknowledgment, Sayaka hurried to her room to get dressed. Moments later she came out in a similar getup as Kyoko and left with "See you later!"

"...Are you going to tell her?" Mami asked the fallen goddess.

Madoka shook her head with bewilderment, "What would I even say?" She hated lying, she was never good at it. But this was...she didn't want to deal with it. She knew she shouldn't. This was a topic Kyoko needed to broach first.

Mami sighed, "I promised Kyoko I wouldn't tell. I sort of wish I hadn't".

The two fell silent for a moment and Mami returned to her book, until Madoka, still standing near the doorway, spoke up again, hesitantly, "...Did...did I make the right choice? Becoming a god, I mean?"

Mami again stopped her reading and looked at her friend, "...You saved us from a worse fate, right? We never became what the Incubators turned Homura into. I'd say it was for the best". She shuddered at the thought of the _thing_ Homura had turned into in her false world. Wraiths had always been unsettling, but Homura's witch had been something else entirely. And the thought of being destined to turn into a being of pure suffering...well, she wasn't entirely sure she'd have been able to take that.

"Maybe" Madoka said as she stared at the stairwell door, "Sometimes it just...feels like all I did was make things worse". She sighed, "I'm going out for a bit".

"Where to?" Mami asked as Madoka headed for the stairs.

"Just a few questions I need to ask Valtir before we leave" she replied, "About my dreams".

* * *

"I could give you my hypothesis, but I think you already have your own, don't you?" Valtir asked Madoka as they walked the College courtyard. She'd caught him as evening began to give way to dusk while he'd been taking in some fresh air before turning in for the night.

She nodded soberly, "I think I just needed confirmation". She'd told him about her dreams—less dreams and more trances that involved sleepwalking. She had been _awake, _traversing Frost Creek without issue and yet...not, as her brother and mother had clearly not really been there. The pull she felt, the need to go south of the town, had faded around the time they'd left for Dawnstar.

Valtir nodded, "The world shard we located was found a few miles away from the ruins of Labyrinthian, almost directly to the south of Frost Creek. I suppose it makes sense that you would feel a psychic connection; it was your realm after all". He filed this knowledge away for later; it would certainly be an invaluable tool for locating future shards.

Madoka's fists clenched in a mixture of anticipation, dread, and...hope? "Then..." she said, forcing the words out, "The world shard you have waiting for us in Solitude...it contains the souls of Mitakihara".

* * *

Homura walked the docks of Dawnstar as dusk overtook the sky. She shivered a bit when a frigid ocean breeze passed over the Sea of Ghosts into the bay, her full-body leather armor and cloak not doing quite enough to stave off the arctic blast of air.

She was becoming frustrated; she'd arrived here two hours ago and so far had found no-one willing to take her to Winterhold. The season was ending, they'd said; with winter on the horizon, no one wanted to risk traversing the ice flows surrounding the town and college. Many were still headed further east to Windhelm and Blacklight, but no one wanted to risk stopping in Winterhold. And now that night was settling, anyone still moored to the docks were likely going to be here for the night.

She was stuck. Homura sighed as she pulled her cloak tighter, letting a puff of steam escape her lips. Why couldn't she ever catch a break, just once?

Speaking of, she hadn't seen Theodor for a few minutes. He had an annoying and unsettling tendency to vanish on her only to reappear where she'd least expect it, so not knowing where he was actually put her on edge because it meant she was going to turn her head and there he would be, right in her face.

He had an annoying habit of startling her.

She thought about stealing a boat. If she waited late enough, she could probably pull it off with an invisibility spell, and maybe also muffle. But Homura didn't know how to sail, she didn't know how to navigate, and she didn't like her chances of just her and Theodor. She'd end up dead; dashed against an iceberg in the middle of the night. And while that thought had a certain amount of dramatic charm, Homura really needed to make sure Madoka was alright before anything happened to herself.

The alternative was braving the frozen wastelands between here and Winterhold. No roads, no towns, no protection. It would add several days to her journey and would, again, probably leave her dead—eaten by wolves or lost in a glacier.

The safer route would be to head south; go around the Anthor mountains towards Windhelm and then back up towards Winterhold. That would add literal weeks to her journey, and she would most likely lose Madoka's trail altogether.

With a burst of frustration, Homura grunted and slammed her fist into the side of a stone hut, cracking the rockface. She flinched at the pain, rubbing her reddened hand with the other.

Even in this world, she couldn't win.

A short distance away Lanie Frey stepped out of _The Atmoran Gale_, a small tavern located down at the docks. While he didn't look it, the brown-haired Breton in his early forties was actually a member of the Psijic Order –a young novice but a full member-, undercover at the moment as he was dressed not in robes, but as a sailor. He'd been sent here to this small city at the edge of the world to wait for one very special girl in case she showed up.

Glancing around the slowly-emptying docks, he caught sight of a raven-haired girl no older than fourteen with clear Akaviri features. His mouth opened a bit; could it really be her? After being stuck here for over a week, had she actually come his way? The Breton sought a closer look without drawing attention, and so walked behind the buildings lining the docks, using the alleyways to keep himself hidden as he watched the girl make her way from one end of the horseshoe-shaped harbor to the other, grumbling to herself as she went.

It was her, it _had_ to be her. He needed to make contact, and then he needed to contact Valtir and let him know so that he didn't let the others leave Winterhold. Failing that, he needed to redirect Homura to Solitude so she could meet the rest of her group there-

"What's the hurry?" said another man with a thick rural Breton accent. A hand clasped onto his shoulder, and Lanie looked to see another Breton man with silver hair and a thick beard. On his face was a wide smile.

"...Who are you?" Lanie asked with concern. Something about the man unsettled him.

"Ah, where are my manners?" the man said, "Theodor Gorlash, at your service".

"Well if you don't mind, I'm quite busy right now" Lanie said, turning his attention back to the girl.

Theodor didn't let go of his grip, and Lanie found he couldn't free himself. Theodor laughed, "I'm sorry, I can't have you go spilling the beans on her right now. Things take time, you know?" he flashed a toothy grin, "I still have need of her".

Lanie stepped away as Theodor let him go. The monk regarded Theodor for a moment, then with a gulp asked, "..._what_ are you?"

Theodor laughed harder, "Hah! Now _that's_ the question everyone should be asking".

Lanie's expression shifted from confusion, to realization, to fear, to resigned courage, "...I can't let you take her".

"Oh, my dear boy. She's already mine" Theodor said as his wide, now predatory grin grew further to show he had a few too many teeth. His eyes were yellow, almost cat-like, "And how are you going to stop me when you have all those spiders in your throat?"

Lanie tried to respond, but found he couldn't. Realization gave way to panic as he knew his throat was clogged full of spiders. If he opened his mouth they'd come out and eat him alive. He clawed at his neck in desperation, trying to kill the abominations. Choking on his own spit, the breton fell to the ground, squirming in manic horror.

"You mortals take things too seriously!" Theodor laughed, "I was just kidding!" he crouched down and leaned over to the man, his threatening voice barely above a whisper, "The spiders were in your _eyes_".

Theodor stood up, gave the squirming man a bow, and headed back towards where he'd left Homura. Lanie would not be found until morning, when the city guards would find a grisly sight: a bloody body of an unidentified breton who had died after scooping out his own eyeballs and throat with his bare hands.

Theodor meanwhile returned to Homura while she, still without luck, walked the harbor back and forth trying to think of a path forward. Every moment wasted here was a moment Madoka had to slip out of her grasp.

"You seem tense!" the old man said jovially.

"Where have you been?" Homura asked with mild annoyance.

Theodor shrugged noncommittally, "Had some errands to run. Eggs, milk, spiders. The usual. So" he clapped his hands, "Ready to steal a boat?"

She looked at him like he was...well, insane, "I don't know how to sail a boat".

"Ah, it's easy" Theodor said with confidence, "The trick is to not drown" he looked around "Hmmmm...that one" he pointed to a small merchant-ship, meant for no more than three or four people. It was distinctly nordic, flat and oval in shape with a small below-deck.

Homura frowned; glutton for punishment as she was, she still wasn't entirely ready for spending two or three days on the open frigid waters on what was little more than a dingy. Alone. With Theodor. She looked up at the ship they were next too—something that looked far more like a classic 'ship'; rising far above the water, two big sails, and a mermaid on the front.

"Why not this one?"

"Too Colovian" Theodor said dismissively, and didn't bother to elaborate as if it made perfect sense. Homura sighed; she supposed she didn't have much of a choice. It was either this or try and cross the ice fields.

...This was going to be unpleasant.

* * *

Madoka stood on the Winterhold docks gazing at the ship that would take her halfway across Skyrim to Solitude as dawn peaked over the sea to the east. It was rare to get a ship going out this time of year; most of the harbor had shut down for the season by this point, and in fact the _Loony Horker_ was the only ship larger than a tied-up fishing boat at any of the piers. It was a fairly large ship, certainly bigger than the fishing boat she'd used to get here. It was Nordic in style; wide and almond-shaped, like a viking longboat except much bigger and higher and carrying lot of interior space.

She herself stood decked out in full-body Bosmer-style dark brown leather armor. It wasn't anything too ornate, but she found she liked how the second layer of lighter-brown scaled leather curved around her body over the under-suit like a protective shield. On her back she wore a cloak with her hood up to protect herself from the elements, as well as her quiver of arrows, her bow, and her pack. A pair of long daggers rested on her belt. She giggled at herself; she looked like she was cosplaying something out of one of those big-budget western fantasy movies.

Then again, she was basically _living_ one of those movies now.

"Ready to get going?" Sayaka asked, coming up behind her. She'd been decked out as well; leather armor like Madoka's, but in a Breton style. On top Sayaka had been given some very light silver plate armor over her chest, lower arms, and lower legs, with bits of chain-mail over other areas to further protect her, as well as a short blue skirt over her pants and below her belt vaguely reminiscent of her old magical girl outfit. Her own cloak was a deep royal blue and she had her swords belted to her sides. It was still light armor built for mobility, but definitely a bit heavier than Madoka's 'elven princess in disguise' look, and clearly knightly-inspired.

"Yeah" Madoka said with a smile, "Where are the others?"

Sayaka rolled her eyes, "Nagisa needed help I guess. I dunno".

Madoka frowned, "You shouldn't be so hard on her".

"Someone has to be" Sayaka grunted with distaste, her mood souring even though on some level she _knew _she was being petty. She couldn't help it. Madoka wisely changed the subject.

"Your armor looks good!"

"Right?" Sayaka said, twirling around to show it off as her mood did a one-eighty, "My old magical outfit had nothing on this. A bit heavier than I thought though".

"You..._are_ wearing metal".

"Heh, yeah. I guess so" Sayaka said with a dumb grin.

"We're here!" Mami said as the other three girls and Valtir came off the staircase leading up to the town proper. She had retained the College robes—though now with a dull yellow sash and long skirt over the clothes underneath, and she had traded the boots and gloves for Nord-style steel gauntlets and boots for added protection. In her hand was a long ornate walking stick—a magical staff of lightning Valtir had bequeathed to her. On her other arm was the small crossbow she'd had custom-made for use with her chains. At her side was a short-sword—just in case.

Kyoko had, somewhat surprisingly, elected to stick with the Dunmer armor she'd stolen from Neloth's guard. It had been resized for her and altered to further suit her tastes, with all of the Telvanni markings removed. Dark brown netch leather verging on red was covered over by plates of light asymmetric chitin armor; on her upper left arm, both wrists, her chest, and on her lower legs. A tattered dark-red skirt peaked out under her belt, and a scarf of the same color covered her neck. Her spear was in her hand.

Nagisa had gone with leather as well, but Imperial in style and covered by thin strips of gold Dwemer metal—bits the College had taken off the ruined centurion. It didn't cover much; her wrists, boots, belt, and shoulders, but it added a bit of flash to her mostly unassuming appearance nonetheless. She also had a cloak and a crossbow slung over her shoulder, as well as a war hammer just her size in her hands. Nagisa was doing somewhat better than the night before; she remained withdrawn (something that Mami was still worried about; every time the girl seemed to be doing better something else would knock her down a peg) but she'd decided to put it out of her mind as much as possible for now. It was a fresh new day after all.

...But the thoughts still lingered, heavy in the back of her mind.

Valtir brought up the rear, handing Madoka a small sack, "Before I forget; here you go".

"What's this?" Madoka asked, opening it up. Inside were a small number of filled potion vials.

"For your seasickness" the elf replied with a wry grin. Madoka couldn't help but laugh a bit at that.

"Thank you" she said earnestly with a smile as she looked back up at him, "For everything".

"It was my pleasure" he said, looking at each of them in turn, "We will most assuredly meet again, and I will be in contact to inform you of any updates". He eyed Kyoko with a smile. She gave him a friendly punch-tap on the shoulder in response.

"So...this is it" Sayaka said, a bit nervously, "Off to Solitude".

"We'll be fine" Mami said.

"Here" Valtir handed Madoka an address on a piece of paper with some information on their contact, "You are looking for a mer named Ilindhar. He's rented a small apartment in the city's central district. He will direct you to where you need to go".

"Thank you" Madoka said, putting the directions away in a safe place, "I guess we should be off then".

"Take care" Valtir said as they began to board the ship, "And know that the Order is watching".

* * *

Homura arrived at Winterhold around midday on the third day of their voyage. Despite a number of close calls on the way, they'd made it to the town in one piece and sailed into the near-empty harbor without issue. She'd left Theodor to deal with the port authority and had taken herself up the insanely tall climb to the top where the town lay.

It was not an easy climb, and by the time she got to the top Homura began to become uncomfortably reminded of the days when she _hadn't_ been an athletically fit super-soldier. This climb was meant for _normal_ people!? She looked back at where she'd come from, and it was higher than the average Mitakihara skyscraper.

Absolute nonsense.

Homura shook off the fatigue after a moment and got back up, marching her way to the College. If she was extremely lucky (she wasn't, she knew that) Madoka would still be here. If not, they'd at least be able to direct her to where she was. Her heart fluttered despite her best attempts to temper her expectations. It had been weeks, _weeks_ since she'd even seen Madoka. Weeks of not knowing, weeks of doubts and fears and worry and _terror._

Apprehension seized her as she approached the bridge connecting the College to the mainland. What would she do if she _was_ here? What would she do if the others were here? Was there a way for her to escape? To remain hidden? There was only one way out of the College, and she had no idea about how the interior was laid out. What if someone directed the others to her? What if they caught her before she could disappear?

She barely even paid attention to her conversation with the College guard as thoughts swirled in her mind, but he let her in as she was apparently 'expected'.

...Madoka had been here. WAS here maybe.

Homura entered the central courtyard and saw a handful of robed people walking about; students and staff she assumed. Unsure of where to go, she just sort of...stood there; unpleasant memories of her first day at Mitakihara Middle School coming back to her.

"...Excuse me miss, are you lost?" asked a voice. She turned and saw an old Nord man approaching her. His eyes widened, "...Oh! You must be the other one. Apologies".

"'Other one'?" Homura asked, partly on edge from being identified while she was in a place of weakness, and partly elated at the implications.

"My name is Onmund" the man said warmly, "You'll want to talk to Valtir. He should be in the main hall" he pointed to the large main building in front of her. Homura clutched her chest in apprehension and then wordlessly approached, not even sparing the old man a glance.

* * *

"Where is she?"

Valtir regarded the young woman. After a (very) brief introduction when Onmund had led her to him, he'd taken her to a private study on the second floor of the main hall so they could talk away from prying ears. The first thing he noted about Homura was that she was fairly rude. Not intentionally (he didn't think anyway) but her social graces left much to be desired. She was blunt, direct, cold, and seemingly fairly self-important. And driven.

Very, very driven.

"Straight down to business I see" Valtir said. Even Kyoko hadn't been quite this blunt, "Madoka and her friends left here two days ago for Solitude. We've been attempting to find you but-"

"Friends?" Homura asked, cutting him off, wondering if Kyoko and Nagisa had finally been located. Also, Solitude? Back in the other direction, then. Of course. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

Still, she was now only _two_ days behind rather than a week and a half.

"Ah, Mami Tomoe, Sayaka Miki, Kyoko Sakura, and Nagisa Momoe" Valtir replied.

Homura nodded. So, it would seem everyone but her was back together, so at least Madoka wasn't alone. Or alone with Sayaka. Or alone with Mami. Or alone with Kyoko. Or…

Hrm. She needed to hurry before someone inevitably did something stupid and got Madoka killed.

"Thank you" Homura said curtly, turning on her heels and preparing to walk out.

"Wait, what?" Valtir asked, now firmly on the back foot by the sudden ending of their meeting, "I don't understand, why are you leaving?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked plainly as she approached the door to the study, "I need to track her down. I can't do that here".

"But you still need training!" Valtir protested, "You don't even know their mission!"

_That_ got Homura's attention. She took her hand off the handle and turned slowly back around, "...Mission?" she asked, an edge in her voice.

That was better. Valtir sighed with relief. He could add _impatient _to the girl's increasing list of negative traits, though it was understandable seeing as she had probably been worrying about her companions for weeks now. Still, he wasn't entirely sure what Madoka saw in the girl. The monk decided on the cliff-notes version for now, hoping that being direct would get her to calm down and allow him to fill in the rest of the blanks later.

"Your friends are helping to save both our world and yours. When you..." he stopped, rephrasing when he realized laying blame, even unintentionally, was probably a bad idea, "When your realm shattered, its remnants rained down on this world. Souls, hundreds of millions of them trapped in what we're naming 'world shards' have been scattered all over Nirn. Madoka is helping us to collect them and then, ancestors willing, will attempt to restore your realm".

A sinking feeling began to fill Homura's gut. No. No, no, no, no. _No._

"...How?"

"How?"

"How does she intend to restore our world?" Homura asked, somehow keeping her voice even as her hands began to tremble. This couldn't be happening again. This couldn't be happening again. _This couldn't be happening again._

Valtir looked at her with concern at her shifting demeanor. Something was off, "...By reascending to the Law of Cycles, I would assume".

Homura let out a sharp, slightly unhinged laugh. Of course. Of _fucking course._ She had left Madoka alone for more than five minutes and some asshole had told her a sob story and offered her the path to godhood once more for his own needs. And she'd gladly accepted. _Of fucking course._

Her life wasn't a tragedy, Homura decided. It was a goddamn comedy, and she was the punchline.

"I...are you okay?" Valtir asked, worried by the sudden turn. Homura...didn't seem all together, "Do you...need help?"

That only made Homura laugh harder. Tears ran down her face. The laughter began to turn into sobbing. She then steadied herself, getting her emotions under control and once again donning the mask of indifference as she let out a shuddering sigh.

"Every time" she said quietly, struggling to hold it together, "Every goddamn time".

"I don't understand" Valtir said, perplexed, "I would think this would be good news. Don't you want your realm restored?" He just stood there, telling her how this was _good._ How this was _right._

_I don't understand,_ the Incubator would always tell her in that insufferable childlike voice, _You humans are so confusing._

_It's for the greater good._

"I don't care about that. I only care about Madoka" Homura replied. Her universe was awful and cruel and uncaring. She never understood what Madoka saw in it. Even when she'd remade it in her image for Madoka's sake, it had rebelled against her with every move she'd made until there was nothing left. It had _resisted _Madoka's happiness. It wasn't worth saving. It wasn't worth her _sacrifice._

"...I'm sorry?"

"You goddamn should be" she said with barely concealed rage, her eyes hidden from him by her unkempt and wild sea-tossed hair, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here and now".

Valtir's expression became stony as his concern gave way to deadly professionalism, "Well for one, you wouldn't be able to. Secondly, you'd never walk out of here alive if you tried. I don't respond well to threats, young lady. So how about we sit down and calmly-"

_No._ She'd had quite enough of parasites.

"Enough! I won't let you sacrifice her for your means!" she shouted, drawing her sword and striking the Altmer. She didn't care. She didn't care how many she had to kill, how much she had to sacrifice, how much she had to burn. She would fight another whole universe to save her.

Except her blade never touched him. Her sword was flung out of her hand by an unseen force and it clattered against the wall harmlessly. A moment later Homura's entire body went limp the second he struck her chest with a green spell. The former demon fell back, landing backwards onto the ground, unable to move. Helpless.

Powerless.

"What—what-" Her entire body felt like pins and needles.

"It's a paralysis spell" Valtir said coldly, "Now. Let's try this again. I-" he stopped. She was gone, like she'd never existed. Her sword as well. "What-" Valtir's bafflement gave way to grim realization, "...a recall spell".

Homura Akemi had been pulled out by another mage. She had _help, _likely the person hiding her from the Order. But where would she have been pulled to? It would have had to have been somewhere where she'd been-

The docks.

He was going to get to the bottom of this _now._

* * *

The docks were devoid of anyone aside from a couple of guards. Valtir stomped his foot into the wooden pier in a fit of agitation. He'd been so close, but Homura, wherever she was, was long gone.

Damn it all. He frowned; this was bad. Someone, possibly malevolent, was using Homura Akemi for some other reason than the Order's intentions. Worse, Homura was clearly dangerous and _not_ entirely sane...and now she and her apparent partners (whoever they were) knew where to find Madoka. He couldn't just portal to them; the Thalmor could pick up on that and track him down.

...Perhaps it was the Dominion who had gotten to Homura; that would explain the hostility. Valtir shuddered at that thought. If they had, this whole situation could very well turn apocalyptic.

There was no way to catch up to Madoka at this point, and he needed to be here when they eventually returned. There was only one other option: he was going to need to send some messages via magical projection to his counterparts. It was still risky; the Thalmor could still theoretically pick up on it...but he really did not have time to waste.

* * *

"You're not that bright, you know that?" Theodor said with a bit of a laugh. Homura blinked as she slowly felt her body begin to un-numb. One moment she'd been on the floor of the study, the next she'd been back on the small boat as Theodor untied it from the dock. By now they'd left Winterhold; the castle was getting smaller in the distance, "Attacking a member of the Psijic Order? Hah! And I thought I was crazy".

"...How..." she tried to sit up, but only managed to get about half-way, leaning uncomfortably against the side of the boat.

"I followed you" he grinned, "Invisibility spell. Don't tell anybody. As for how I got you out? Recall spell. It teleports you to a location where you've been before. Extremely helpful!"

"...How did you keep them from knowing?" Certainly a College like that would have defenses against what he'd done.

Theodor giggled to himself, "That...well, I like to keep some things a surprise. Adds to the suspense. Sorry!"

Homura knew she wasn't going to get anything else out of him, as uneasy as that made her. "You...know magic" she breathed, pulling herself further up. Not a question, a statement.

"Course I do! I've been using it the whole way here! Why do you ask?" his smile became somewhat menacing as he realized why she'd said it, "...Oh, I see. You want lessons, don't you?"

She hated it. She knew she was likely being suckered into something. She knew he had her right where he wanted. She knew there was probably going to be consequences to this. But she needed to know more than the bare handful of basic spells she'd taught herself before she'd left The Blades. From the sounds of it, the other girls had gotten extensive training here and...and there was no way she could fight people like Valtir and protect Madoka as she was. She was falling behind and she could not, _would not_ be that girl ever again.

Damn it all.

Damn him.

And damn herself.

"Yes".

"Good, excellent!" Theodor said, giddy, "We have plenty of time until we reach Solitude. I promise you, once you can move again we'll have you a regular magical girl. Magical woman?" he mused, "Mage-ess? Witch? Ah, we'll workshop it".

Homura did some mental calculations. It had taken her two and a half days to get here from Dawnstar. Solitude was roughly twice as far away. Five or six days.

She was going to be on this boat for almost a week. With Theodor teaching her.

Homura took in a deep, ragged sigh.

She really was the punchline.


	11. 1x10: Of course it couldn't be easy

**CHAPTER TEN: OF COURSE IT COULDN'T BE EASY**

* * *

Shimmering blue lights danced across the night sky. They were certainly more impressive than anything on Earth, but Madoka had also seen brighter elsewhere. Still, they were very pretty auroras, and they got her mind off things.

The boat sloshed gently against the calm sea; in the distance to the south Skyrim's coastline slowly shifted and moved as they inched ever closer to Solitude. It had been a fairly uneventful trip; they'd made port in Dawnstar to resupply for one night, and then had continued on in peace. Mostly the girls had kept busy by continuing with the studies Valtir had left for them—much to Sayaka and Kyoko's complaints. Beyond that, it had been a slow case of learning various Tamrielic card games and generally lounging about bored out of their minds like beached whales on the ship's main deck.

Kyoko would not stop lamenting the loss of digital entertainment until Sayaka had threatened to throw her overboard. Kyoko had promptly shut up after that.

Madoka was currently the only one awake and out on deck at this hour aside from a guard who was making his rounds and making sure the ship remained on course. The captain was up, working in his cabin, and Madoka was pretty sure a couple of the hands were still awake below deck stuck in an endless card game. But of her group, she was the only one who hadn't turned in. She couldn't; she knew if she tried she'd just be turning and tossing at the thought of the task ahead.

How the heck was she going to pull this off?

Breathe. Just breathe. She could do this; she had the others to count on. She'd overcome impossible odds before.

_They could do this._

...Correction; she was _not_ the only one of the group awake.

"...Couldn't sleep?" Sayaka asked softly as she approached, wrapped up in a blanket and looking somewhat bleary-eyed.

Madoka smiled slightly as she shook her head, "Too much on my mind. Tomorrow's the big day". Tomorrow they would reach Solitude, though it was expected to be late in the day.

"Doesn't that mean you need sleep more than usual?" Sayaka chastised in a teasing tone as she nudged the other girl.

"And what about you?" Madoka giggled slightly as she asked her friend. Her face fell slightly, "...Another nightmare?" They'd all had the occasional nightmare—stress, most likely. Trauma over the situation, almost certainly. But Sayaka's had been the most consistent and Madoka was starting to worry.

Sayaka's expression darkened a bit as she turned away, looking out towards the distant shore, "...It's fine, don't worry about it".

Madoka leaned against her, "I'm here if you ever want to talk".

"...Thanks". The two fell silent for a moment as they leaned over the railing and watched the aurora above.

"...It's beautiful, isn't it?" Madoka asked quietly.

Sayaka nodded in agreement, "You know, it's funny. If it weren't for this whole thing, I'd be super excited. Dragons, knights, magic...I'm on an epic quest with my friends to save the world...it would have been perfect" a pause as she looked down at the water, "I always wanted to visit medieval Europe".

Madoka gave her former underling a side-eye, "Sayaka, you _know_ why I couldn't send anyone back on a mission before they died".

"Yeah, yeah" Sayaka flipped around, leaning back with her elbows on the rails, "Can't risk a paradox or whatever. Look who's talking, Ms I-killed-my-own-witch".

"And that is _exactly_ why I wasn't going to risk it" Madoka chastised in good humor. She'd been very surprised by just how close she'd come to _really _messing things up when she'd first ascended. She'd known beforehand that the results were probably not going to be all too great for herself, but at the same time she hadn't really expected the universe to all but shut down _twice_ and then effectively reboot itself from the beginning. It was only through luck that everything had remained largely the same.

"...I'm sorry. This is all my fault" Sayaka said after a moment of silence, her jovial nature vanishing as she looked up at the stars.

"Sayaka..."

She cut Madoka off as the words just started to spill out, "I should have tracked you down first. Or gotten help. Or waited. Or...something, I dunno. Instead I lost my cool, _again_, and she took me down without a second glance. I should have known what she was up to. I should have stopped her when she grabbed you. I should have been _faster._ Smarter. Something" a sigh as she hid her face behind her hands, "Same ol' dumb Sayaka. Now you've gotta clean up _another_ mess of mine".

"It's not your fault, please don't blame yourself" Madoka said sadly, "You were perfect. I just...made a lot of bad calls. This is on me and I'll fix it".

"Uh...not alone you're not" Sayaka flashed a tired smile, "You can't get rid of me. It's part of the contract". Madoka giggled as Sayaka ruffled her hair, "...You need to put the pigtails back in. You don't look right without them".

"Enough about the pigtails!" Madoka laughed as she pushed Sayaka away, "They're gone".

Sayaka pushed back in and hung onto her shoulders, "No wife of mine is gonna go around looking so plain! At least get a ponytail or something going. _Anything_".

"I'm still your wife? What does that make Kyoko?" Madoka asked slyly.

Sayaka shrugged, cutting right through Madoka's bait, "I can handle more than one. I'm responsible".

"You make me sound like a pet or something!"

"Eh, kinda".

Madoka laughed at that and shoved Sayaka off her, "You're awful".

Sayaka gave her a knowing look as she leaned forward, "_I'm_ not the one Mami caught reading trashy novels, you dirty girl".

All at once Madoka's face turned crimson red as she began to sputter, "It wasn't...that's not...Mami _told you?!"_

Sayaka backed off, her arms crossed under her blanket as she gave Madoka a shit-eating grin, "Nagisa told Kyoko, and Kyoko told me. '_The Lusty Argonian Maid'_?"

"_Shhh!_" Madoka hissed in a panic, even though there was no-one around, "It wasn't anything bad! Mostly" she added under her breath, "...It was well written".

"Uh huh".

"I'm serious!"

"Well now everyone knows you like airport romance novels".

"Mmrghghgh..." Madoka whimpered, clutching the sides of her head in embarrassment.

Sayaka's grin was about as wide as it could be as her body shuddered, repressing the urge to break out in laughter. It was _so easy_ to rile Madoka up, even after all this time. To think that _god_ could be embarrassed, "Don't be ashamed; you should embrace every bit of yourself! Let the world know:" her voice got louder as she shouted out to the ocean, "Madoka likes-!"

"Oh my god!" Madoka exclaimed in horror, reaching for her stupid friend's stupid loud mouth. Sayaka laughed as she narrowly avoided Madoka's first grip, and then stuck her tongue out when her hands pressed up again against her mouth. Madoka recoiled in horror and wiped her hand against her pants.

"Did you just _lick my hand?!" _Madoka exclaimed. Clearly Sayaka had been hanging out with Kyoko too much.

"Well don't put your hand on my mouth!"

"You're so gross!"

Sayaka laughed as she turned on her heels with an evil glint in her eyes that made Madoka certain she wasn't done shouting things. Madoka followed in pursuit as they chased each other around the ship's upper deck, nearly barreling into the baffled guard as they went. After a few short laps however, Sayaka tripped on her blanket and faceplanted onto the wood floor. Right on her heels, Madoka tripped over Sayaka and landed on top of her with a grunt.

"Got you. Now apologize" Madoka said, trying to sound stern but failing to repress her giggles the whole way.

"Fine, fine" Sayaka said, still laughing, "You only go for the _classy_ trash".

Madoka collapsed with a sigh, "You're _impossible_". She yawned, "...I think I'm about ready for bed".

"You're welcome" Sayaka said with a grin. She'd successfully worn her friend out enough.

Madoka hummed, "You should get back to sleep too, you know".

"Yeah, yeah" Sayaka said with an eye-roll before they got up. She threw her arm over Madoka's shoulder, "...Hey, we got this. Right?"

Madoka gave her a side-eye as they headed to the door to the ship's interior, "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

"You looked like you needed a reminder" Sayaka said with gentle encouragement, nudging her.

Madoka smiled earnestly as they entered the ship, "Thanks". She felt so very thankful to have Sayaka back; she was the only one who actually knew and remembered her aside from Homura, and even when Sayaka was hurting, even when unintentionally overbearing, her oldest friend was still there trying her best to make sure she was keeping herself above water.

* * *

It was late the next day by the time they neared Solitude; the sun hovered warmly over the horizon, basking the ocean and the swamp and mountains to their south in a soft golden glow. The mist parted off the water and they saw it: a massive rock arch stretching impossibly a kilometer in length over the wide mouth of the Karth river, anchored on the far end by snow-capped mountains covered in pine forest and supported by a single gigantic rock pillar on the other as it overlooked the swamp on the near side of the river banks. Atop the arch the girls could see buildings; palaces, castles, stores, and houses all lined along the edge and buffered by thick stone walls. But the city wasn't simply relegated to the arch: it had spilled out all along the river bank, growing out along the road beneath the arch on the far side of the river where numerous docks and piers lined the shore along with many more stores and houses terraced in layers—some built into the rock wall itself. Up above in the high city they could see one of the city towers was a giant windmill, its arms glistening in the evening light as it slowly turned.

"...Woah" Sayaka muttered.

"Dang, it's an actual city" Kyoko agreed, her arms dangling off the spear she was balancing on the back of her neck, "That's a nice change of pace".

"Aren't they worried about it collapsing?" Mami asked in concern, "That seems very unsafe".

"Eh, magic probably" Kyoko shrugged, "A wizard did it".

"Hey" Sayaka nudged Madoka, "Third grade? Disneyland?"

"Oh, hah" Madoka smiled wistfully, "That's right. This is way bigger though".

"Whaaa, you went to Disneyland?!" Kyoko whined.

"Yeah, Madoka's family took us to Tokyo during break one year. Well, back in the other universe, I guess" Sayaka said, "You've never been?" Kyoko gave Sayaka a flat stare and Sayaka suddenly felt _really_ dumb at that question and scratched the back of her head, "Oh...right, sorry".

Kyoko grabbed Sayaka by the top of her breastplate and pulled her close with a menacing look "If we ever make it back, you're taking me there".

Sayaka chuckled nervously and began to sweat at the thought of the expense of that hypothetical trip, "You're kinda demanding, huh?"

Nagisa, currently leaning against the railing, looked up at Mami, "...Can we go too?"

"Ah..." Mami also began to sweat, "We'll...we'll see".

The _Loony Horker_ gracefully made passage under the arch as it made for its final destination—the commercial district of the port town. As it did, it gave the girls a perfect view of the entire area; smells and noises, people talking and laughing and working, children playing. Life.

The ship docked, and after a short meeting with the port authority they were allowed to step off the ship onto the pier.

"So where are we supposed to go, anyway?" Sayaka asked Madoka.

Madoka pulled the address out of her pocket, "...183 Redwood Street, upper level" she read, then looked up at the arch above, "...Up there".

"Swear to god, if we have to climb another staircase up a cliff I am going to be _so_ _pissed"_ Kyoko muttered as she gazed up at the natural wonder.

Thankfully, that was not the case. Unlike Winterhold, Solitude gently sloped up from the docks towards the main citadel, and very soon the girls found themselves approaching the gate to the upper city as night began to fall. The streets were quaint; wooden buildings of varying colors lined up in rows, each multiple stories and tall and narrow, closing in around the group as they walked. It was _almost_ like being back on Earth, as if they'd walked into some tourist area of a city in maybe Germany or Sweden.

Then they entered the gates to the upper level, and the buildings got even bigger. Suddenly they were large stone structures with wooden upper levels and tiled roofs, and suddenly very _very _Nordic. Walls surrounded the quarter, and the center of the square was strung up with lanterns and primary-colored mini-flags. Some of the buildings even had abstract stain-glass windows.

"Wow, it's like we stepped into a fairy-tail" Sayaka said with a look of childlike glee.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko enthusiastically grabbed her friend by the upper arm and pointed over to where a wide array of stalls and merchants were operating, "We're window shopping!"

Before the others could stop them, the two girls hurried over to the stalls, with Kyoko dragging a nearly-equally eager Sayaka over to a baker selling assorted desserts. Nagisa trailed behind.

"We uh...we should probably go check in first" Madoka said apologetically to them.

Kyoko slumped, "But they're probably gonna close up soon!"

"Then we can look tomorrow" Mami replied diplomatically, "Besides, we don't have any extra money to waste anyway".

"Aww" Kyoko whined as the suddenly-disapproving vendor, a middle-aged Redguard woman, pulled an apple pie away from Kyoko's grubby fingers at the announcement that she was poor. Sayaka patted her on the back reassuringly and led her away.

"Nagisa" Mami called towards the younger girl, currently staring at the desserts as the rest of them were headed further into the city.

"...But they've got cookies! And cheesecake!"

"Nagisa" Mami called again, more firm this time.

Nagisa pouted with a slump and followed, muttering something about how she never got what she wanted under her breath. Mami waited until she was close, and then followed behind her, making sure the whole group was staying on course.

It didn't take all that long to find the street they were looking for; Solitude's outline was fairly organized and straight forward, and a helpful guard gave them very direct instructions the one time they _did_ get lost. Still, it was definitely night by the time they arrived at the house they were looking for, though the street was fairly well-lit by lamps and braziers.

A knock on the door did nothing. After a moment a confused Madoka knocked again...still nothing. Worry began to sneak in.

"No, no. You gotta be direct" Kyoko muttered, pushing Madoka aside before cracking her knuckles with a wolfish smile, "Like this" she began to beat on the door, enough that the wood started to splinter. Sayaka pulled her away.

"Woooah there amazon princess. Let's not break the door".

"...Maybe he's out?" Mami asked Madoka, her voice uncertain. Something felt off. This wasn't right.

Madoka obviously felt the same, "But he knew we were coming, didn't he? If he had to go out, wouldn't he have left a note or something?"

Nagisa was less focused on the conversation and more on the odd dark splotches staining the base of the house and the lower part of the door. That seemed an awful lot like… "Uh...guys?" she asked, concerned.

They paid her no heed however, as at that moment Kyoko elected to check to see if the door was locked; it was not, and she swung it wide open.

"Kyoko!" Mami gasped at the lack of manners.

"What are you doing?!" Sayaka chastised her, "If he comes back and sees us breaking in-"

Kyoko's gaze was focused on something on the floor just inside the dark interior of the small house, "I uh...I don't think that's gonna be a problem".

Sayaka gave her an odd look before turning her attention to where Kyoko was looking, "Why, what are you-"

Ahead of where all the girls stood, near the entryway to the house sat the crumpled body of one Ilindhar, dead and having clearly bled out going by all the dark dried liquid that had poured out of his body onto the floor. He'd been stabbed in the chest; the knife lay about a half a meter away and was caked in elf blood.

Well, that wasn't good.

"...Oh, he's dead" Sayaka said in surprise as everyone looked down at the body in shock. She frowned as her words caught up with her, "..._Why is he dead?!_"

* * *

This hadn't been her first option. Homura had wanted to make a straight line for Solitude, but their small boat simply hadn't had enough supplies to make it there; they were out of food and fresh water, and while she could go without the former (despite Theodor's protests), the latter was something not even Homura was willing to risk. So she'd relented even as much as she hated the idea of losing time to Madoka; she hoped the other girl would stick around at her destination for awhile and give Homura a chance to catch up.

They'd ended up stopping at some small fishing village named Windstad on the border of Drajkmyr marsh, not-so-amusingly just a day or two north of Frost Creek where Homura had first caught onto Madoka's trail. The weather here had taken a turn for the worse; the bright blue sky they'd had at Dawnstar had turned into a murky gray, and the heaviness in the air implied a storm was coming. Great, that was another reason she needed to get going—she wanted to try and outrun the weather before she was stuck here.

The former demon grunted in irritation as she restocked the boat with the supplies they'd bought in the dying light of the day, apparently doing the job all on her own because surprise, surprise: Theodor was nowhere to be seen when actual work needed to be done. She'd call him useless if he wasn't actually doing a good job training her. Her skills _had_ improved dramatically, even if his teaching style was...unorthodox, to say the least.

By that she meant that she couldn't actually pin down what his style was at all. One moment he'd act like a normal teacher, giving a detailed lecture and guiding her through the concepts of each spell, and another he'd be intentionally obtuse, ignoring questions, aggravating in his evasions, and generally doing his best to dance around the subject until she figured it out herself.

'Sometimes', he'd told her once when she'd blown up in his face after four hours of stalling and she was convinced he was mocking her, 'it's much more fun to figure it out yourself when you have the pieces you need instead of just being given everything'. He said the latter was boring.

'Creativity is the spice of life', he'd said, 'Also oregano'.

Homura scoffed, she didn't care about 'fun' (and she disagreed anyway—this was _not_ fun) what she wanted was answers, a path forward, results. What she didn't want was endless fits of frustration. Her life had enough of that as it was.

Whatever.

A shrill scream pulled Homura from her thoughts as she stepped off the boat, now finished with her work and almost ready to pull out from the small dock as soon as she found her lazy-ass companion. A few meters away a small girl, a Nord with blond hair and twin braids no older than six or seven, was being bullied by a trio of boys a few years older. She tried to ignore them, but the shrieking continued and Homura began to become annoyed as she couldn't continue her own thoughts.

"Give it back!" the young girl shouted, swinging for the doll the boys were dangling just out of her reach.

The leader laughed, "You're getting better at jumping! Maybe soon you'll actually be able to HURK-" the boy suddenly found himself hoisted up off his feet by the back of his shirt before he was turned around to face an extremely displeased raven-haired Akaviri girl, "Who...who in Oblivion-"

"Enough" Homura said quietly and plainly, yet somehow incredibly threateningly.

The other two boys had backed off some, somewhat taken aback by the sudden intrusion, to say nothing that their leader was currently being held off the ground effortlessly by a girl only a couple years older than them.

"I—I'm not afraid of you" the leader said, gathering his courage after his initial shock, "My dad's the village leader".

Homura's expression flattened, "So what you're saying is that I need to kill your father" she said with a seeming disinterested deadpan.

"I...what" the boy's face went pale white, all pretense of smug confidence gone as he tried to grapple with the sudden cataclysmic shift this conversation had just taken, "Why would you-"

She cut off his babbling again, "It's a simple question. Do I need to kill your father to make her stop screaming?" she pointed at the young girl, "Or maybe I should just break your arms".

"You...you're bluffing" the boy said, trying to free himself but finding this new girl to be unnaturally strong for her age, "You wouldn't".

One of the other boys came at Homura with a stick he'd found on the ground. Without even missing a beat she grabbed and pulled it out of his hand before throwing it away and gripping the boy's arm tight, pulling it behind him as he began to yell in pain—all while still holding the leader by the shirt.

"Ow, that hurts!" the second boy exclaimed, "Let go!"

The third boy came to their rescue with a solid punch...or rather it would have been had Homura not almost casually thrown the second boy into him and sent both of them into the dirt. She then turned her attention back to the leader. She paused, considering her response even as the boy looked at her in shock at dispatching his companions so easily.

She pulled out a knife, "I don't bluff". Well, actually she was. Killing someone's parents seemed a bit over the top, even for her, and more than that it seemed like a lot of effort. Mostly she just wanted the nonsense to stop.

The boy looked at her with wide, fearful eyes as she brought the knife up, "I...I'll be good, please don't kill my dad".

Without so much as a shift in expression, Homura dropped the kid to the ground. He landed on his butt as she glared down at him in distaste, before he and his friends scrambled to their feet.

"...Come on!" he said to them, "Let's get out of here, she's _crazy_!" The trio _ran_, fleeing from the Akaviri girl as quickly as their feet could take them. Homura flicked her hair.

The younger girl cautiously picked up the doll they'd left behind before looking at Homura with a mixture of appreciation, fear, and awe, "...Thank you".

"I just wanted you to stop screaming. It was distracting" Homura said blandly as she walked away, ignoring any attempts at thanks she didn't deserve.

"My name's Maeri, what's yours?"

_Goddamnit._

"Homura" she replied briskly and picked up the pace, hoping to shake the child off her trail. Maeri followed her a short distance, but as Homura didn't even give her a glance and sped up enough that she couldn't follow without running, the younger girl eventually got the hint and backed off.

"I uh...I'll see you later, I guess".

Now, where the hell was Theodor? She looked around the small town, something that didn't take all that long, and didn't see him anywhere.

Sigh.

Maybe she'd take off without him. On one hand he'd probably miraculously end up on the boat with her in which case all was well...in a certain manner of speaking, at least. On the other, she'd leave him behind which while that would mean she'd lose her teacher she'd be perfectly fine with that too. She _had _told him she would ditch him without a second thought.

Her course set, Homura headed back towards her boat as night finally overtook the sleepy village. Thunder clapped in the distance.

Ugh.

"...Excuse me, miss?" a woman's voice came from behind her. Homura turned around to see a friendly Nord woman in her late twenties, "You're the girl who helped my daughter, aren't you? I wanted to thank you; Eldfyr refuses to keep his son in line, and he's been tormenting poor Maeri for months".

Oh no. The woman was _thankful._ Homura didn't have time for this, "It was nothing. If you'll excuse me".

But the woman wasn't deterred, "Um...do you have a place to stay for the night?"

"I won't be staying here. I need to be on my way".

"With the storm coming?" the woman asked, aghast. More thunder rolled in the distance as if to punctuate her point, "You should stay the night. We have an extra bed, and from the look of it I'm sure you could use a hot meal".

Homura's stomach instinctively rumbled at the thought of something that wasn't stale cabin food, but she shook the thought off, "I'm fine. I don't need your pity".

"...It's not pity" the woman said, troubled. What was this teenage girl doing all alone, and clearly so unhappy and guarded? "Are you okay?" she asked, "Are...you're not a runaway, are you?"

"No, I'm looking for someone" Homura said, turning her back to the woman, "Please, excuse me. I need to get going".

"Not in this weather!" Theodor said, popping in from seemingly out of nowhere—enough to make the woman jump in surprise, "Storm's comin'! Unless you _want_ to be hopelessly dashed against the rocks of Solitude like mulched seaweed and left for the slaughterfish, that is. I'm all for performance art, but somehow you don't strike me as much of an artist".

The woman blinked at his sudden arrival, "What...who are-"

"Ah, where are my manners? Theodor Gorlash, at your convenience!" the old Breton said with a bow, "And this is my niece, Homura Akemi. Apologies if she was somewhat curt towards you. She's got a little too much dementia, not enough mania, if you get my drift".

"Oh...you're her uncle?" the woman asked, "That makes me feel better, I thought she was out here all alone".

"Oh, goodness no!" Theodor exclaimed, "What kind of Uncle would I be if I just let all my kids wander Nirn without a guiding hand? A comforting voice in their ear? It would be irresponsible! I could never live with myself".

"Oh, well..." the woman cleared her throat as she extended her hand towards the man, "My name's Eirfa. Your niece helped scare off some kids bullying my daughter. I was just inviting her over for the night".

"Ah, who would we be if we didn't accept?" Theodor said with a grin as he gripped Eirfa's hand, "We accept!"

Homura sighed in resignation.

* * *

The team had retired to a modest hole-in-the-wall inn called _The Northern View_ for the night, the group having centered themselves around a small table in the corner of the main room. The mood was dour and their conversation was hushed.

"Of course it couldn't be easy" Sayaka complained, leaning back in her seat with her hands behind her head as she looked up at the bare ceiling, somewhat distraught, "So now what? Valtir didn't leave us a way to contact him".

Mami hummed in thought, her hand on her chin and a troubled expression on her face, "We need to tell the city guard".

"You're joking, right?" Kyoko said with a glare, "Buncha foreign kids with swords show up with a dead body? _After_ we broke into his house? Oh _hell no"._

"Then what do you suggest?" Mami asked her.

Kyoko replied, "I say we get the hell out of the city and wait for Valtir to pick us up".

"And who's the one who broke in in the first place?" Sayaka asked the redhead with a glare.

"The door was unlocked!"

"I'm sure that'll hold up in court".

"Girls, please" Mami said, reigning them in, "The authorities are more equipped for this than we are. We just need to explain the situation. I'm sure someone will help us".

Nagisa leaned back in her chair, "...Do they even have legal courts here? Or is it like Alice in Wonderland where they just say 'off with your head'?"

Kyoko eyed her, "Let's not find out, huh?"

"So, elephant in the room time" Sayaka asked, "_Who_ murdered him?"

Mami frowned. The implications were certainly haunting, "Could have been anyone, I suppose. Valtir did mention the Thalmor. Could it be them?"

"...Are they after us too?" Nagisa asked, suddenly worried and looking around at the other patrons of the inn. The other girls began to become paranoid as well.

"Another reason to get help. We don't want to deal with assassins alone" Mami replied grimly in a tone that said this wasn't up for debate. She glanced at Kyoko, who crossed her arms and huffed.

"Guess we can all die together then".

Madoka had said barely a word since they'd arrived at the inn. She'd only been half-listening to the others as thoughts swirled around her mind. There had been no sign of the world shard in the house. Had someone stolen it? Where could it have gone? This was only step one in fixing everything, and she'd already messed it up. She was sitting here drinking tea when she should be out looking.

"...Madoka?" Sayaka asked her with a hint of worry, "You okay?"

"Huh?" she looked up at her friend, then nodded reassuringly, "Yeah, sorry. Just-" she froze. In the corner of her eye she saw her.

_Junko Kaname_.

Her mother. She gave Madoka a nod and gestured to the outside.

Without thinking Madoka stood up, the rest of the world having ceased to exist as far as she was concerned. She could distantly hear her friends asking what was going on and if she was alright, but all Madoka could focus on was her mother walking out of the inn, completely invisible to everyone else. Madoka rushed after her, speeding out of the inn onto the street. Catching her breath, she looked around frantically for her mom—there! Just down the street. Madoka followed as fast as she could, even as Junko rounded the corner into an alleyway.

She was gone. The alleyway was empty. Madoka looked around but saw no trace of her.

"Madoka!" Sayaka's voice called to her as the other girls caught up, "What happened? Why'd you leave?"

"I..." Madoka trailed off, looking back to where her mom had vanished, seeing nothing but darkness.

Mami gently placed a hand on Madoka's shoulder. She knew what this was, "It's happening again, isn't it?"

Madoka nodded. Now that she thought about it, she felt a definite pull somewhere southeast of their location, "I...I think it's the world shard. It's calling to me. I...I saw my mom".

Sayaka gave her a look, "Wait, are you telling me that the shard we're looking for..."

Madoka nodded, "I think it's Mitakihara". The others looked at her in varying degrees of surprise.

"What are the odds of that?" Kyoko said with a frown.

"Not high, I'd imagine" Mami said, then gripped Madoka urgently, "Let's hurry, we need to track it down before it gets away!"

The five girls set off, down the alleyway and into the next street. Madoka took a second to feel for the pull, then directed the girls down the street and eventually into another, rather short, alleyway.

"...Dead end" Kyoko said in irritation as she looked up at the wall separating the group from the open cliff on the other side.

"Why here?" Madoka asked herself in frustration.

Mami was equally troubled. She looked up and—oh _shit_. "GET DOWN!" she exclaimed.

The girls scattered on command as their foe came down from above. The large muscled man landed between them, Breton in appearance but with thick Nordic iron armor and a heavy warhammer at the ready. The girls immediately pulled out their own weapons, even as the man lunged forward towards the exit. Kyoko and Sayaka barred his path, spear and swords in hand, while Madoka caught sight of a larger-than-normal Tamrielic soul gem pulsing with light and wrapped in cloth hanging out of the man's pouch.

"The world shard!" she cried out.

"I've got it!" Mami swung her chain whip around the crystal and pulled it to her while the man was distracted by the other two girls. It was almost in Mami's grasp when a second figure, a Breton woman in leather armor and a cloak, rolled past her and took the shard in mid-air. She landed a short distance away, a smirk on her face. Mami was taken off-guard by the sudden change in fortune, "What-"

"Mami, LOOK OUT!" Nagisa pushed a distracted Mami out of the way as a _third_ figure, an Orc male with dark green skin and dull grey Orcish armor emerged from the shadows and struck with a dagger, impaling Nagisa's side. The young girl gasped out in pain as the blade went in, managing to cut past the leather and break the skin—not all that deep, but enough. Mami's eyes snapped back to her charge in terror.

"Nagisa!"

Madoka had instinctively drawn her bow, but her initial hesitation at shooting the woman meant she found herself on the defensive and was blocking the a sword-and-dagger combo with her bow.

"Lesuin, stop messing around and make us an exit!" the woman shouted at their leader.

The man fighting Kyoko and Sayaka grinned at her before his hammer began to charge with electricity, "GLORY TO THE REACH!" he brought the hammer down. The girls attempted to block with a combined ward spell, but the physical impact of the hammer's impact sent them flying into the street regardless. "Move it!" Lesuin told his followers.

"Pity, it was just getting fun" the Orc said as Mami's chain wrapped around his arm. Mami was strong; far stronger than a normal human—but she still only weighed the same as a middling teenager. The Orc grabbed the chain and sent Mami flying into a wall.

The woman meanwhile simply avoided Madoka, flipping herself over her head and landing behind her. Madoka attempted to get off another shot, but it missed as the enemy trio evacuated the alleyway and fled further into the city.

"They have the shard!" Mami exclaimed as she pulled herself back up.

"On it!" Sayaka replied as she and Kyoko chased after their attackers. Madoka followed suit and Mami was about to back them up when she heard Nagisa.

"...Mami?" she said unevenly, her breathing haggard as she stumbled forward, leaning against the wall. She looked pale and her other arm was grasping at her wound.

"Nagisa?" Mami asked, approaching her with worry.

Nagisa didn't seem quite all there, "I don't...I don't feel so-" her eyes rolled up in the back of her head before she fell into Mami's arms.

"NAGISA!"

Down the street the battle raged as the girls chased after their attackers.

"Who are these guys!?" Sayaka asked.

"How the hell should I know?" Kyoko replied, "Talk later, kick ass now!" The civilians still out and about screamed and fled as Kyoko came down on Lesuin with a battle cry after using one of the buildings as a jumping-off point, her spear aiming for his face. He dodged, his hammer swinging around and forcing Kyoko to twist herself around at the last moment. He grabbed her by the leg and she went flying as Sayaka rushed Lesuin with a series of ice blasts. Right behind her, Madoka was running into the battle herself, aiming a Calm spell at the woman even as kept running...and was rewarded for her efforts by the Orc turning on his heels and lobbing a series of knives at her which she was forced to dodge.

Sayaka had closed the distance and her swords met Lesuin's hammer with her blades, being as quick as she could to evade his slower but more powerful strikes. She did well for a few seconds, until he let one of his hands free and struck her dead-on with a lightning spell. Sayaka was thrown back into a fish stall, the people around her shouting and backing away. She grunted, pulling herself up to her feet as she saw Lesuin's hammer charging up again. Her eyes widened as she realized she had innocent bystanders behind her.

The stream of lighting came at her full force and she enacted a ward spell. The force of the impact pushed Sayaka back some, even as she tried to find traction on the cobblestone road.

"Get..._get out of here_!" she grunted at the civilians while doing all she could to hold the lightning storm at bay. They panicked and fled—and good timing, as it looked as if Lesuin's hammer was reaching a fever pitch. Sayaka roared, putting every bit of magicka she had left into her defenses as the beam-of-war reached its apex; she couldn't give in as long as she was still standing, she _wouldn't. _With a final burst of power Lesuin overwhelmed Sayaka's wards, and the area around her detonated as she was sent flying into the wall of a building, leaving a visible dent in the stonework.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko exclaimed, then turned back to Lesuin in anger, "Bad move, sparky! I'm about to rearrange your face!" She threw herself into the melee. When he blocked her strikes with his hammer, Kyoko jabbed her spear into the ground and swung her body up, using her other hand to grab onto the hammer's pole and landed her boot in the Breton's face. The force of the impact was enough to knock the much larger figure down into the dirt, giving Kyoko the time she needed to press her attack.

Madoka was doing the best she could two-on-one. She wanted to go after the woman since she had the shard, but the Orc was doing his damnedest to keep the two of them apart.

"We don't want to fight!" Madoka tried to reason. She knew the chances at negotiation were slim, especially since their opponents had intentionally come out swinging, but she had to try, "All we want is the crystal you have! Please, it's very important".

"Oh, we know how important it is" the Orc said as he pressed his dagger against Madoka's bow that she was using as a defensive bulwark. She could smell his awful breath as he leaned in, "Our master has plans for these souls".

Madoka's eyes widened in worry at the implications, "What...what are you going to do?!" Sell them to the Ideal Masters or a Daedric prince for power? Convert them into energy? Something worse?

Madoka dodged a series of swings from the Orc as he replied, "I guess you'll just have to wait and find out!"

"We need to wrap this up!" the Breton woman said to the Orc, "Guards will be here any second".

The Orc cracked a toothy smile, "Leave that to me". His hand filled with a green energy and as Madoka swung in he slammed his fist into her. Immediately Madoka felt her body fail her as her limbs went limp. Shocked and bewildered, the former goddess fell to her knees and then slumped over on the ground, unable to do much else but watch as the battle turned against them and her goal slip from her fingers. "Better luck next time, little girl".

Kyoko cursed under her breath as she saw Madoka go down; it was just her now, three on one. Where the hell were Mami and Nagisa?!

That observation cost her; she was a second too slow and Lesuin's hammer slammed right into her midsection, almost certainly cracking a rib or two when she was pinned against the wall. Kyoko felt all the air sucked out of her as her body was pulled by the hammer against the wall and then flung like a ragdoll into the cobblestone.

"Let's go!" the woman said, already running away. The Orc followed her, and after one last smug look Lesuin did too.

Sayaka coughed as she slowly came to. Her sprawled-out body was tingling and felt like it was on fire. Her frazzled hair was crackling with electricity. "Did...did we win?" she managed to croak out, her head fuzzy and dizzy.

She felt a figure approach. Sayaka turned her head and saw another Orc, this one wearing a guard captain's armor; Nordic chainmail and a red tunic. She looked _very_ unamused. "I am Captain Lazghal of the city guard, and I am placing you under arrest".

Kyoko shot Sayaka a glare as she was apprehended by another pair of guards and another group headed over to where Madoka lay, "...Told you we should have just skipped town" the redhead managed to wheeze out.

* * *

The dark pine woods in the foothills beyond Solitude were almost silent. Beneath the canopy Anton watched the city skyline intently, waiting for his agents to return. He'd wanted to go with them, to feel the thrill of the hunt, but someone had needed to stay back and keep the rally point clear and keep an eye on their horses and escape route.

Still, a fresh hunt. Next time; he told himself. This was only the opening feint.

Finally, his agents returned to him.

"How did it go?" he asked Lesuin. In response the Breton handed him a large soul gem, faintly pulsing with power and wrapped up in a cloth.

"Careful" he warned, a satisfied look on his face, "Don't touch it without a covering, if you do you'll...well, you'll see a lot of things. Memories that aren't yours. Places that don't exist".

Anton grasped the gem and looked it over with a satisfied expression, "Excellent. Our master will be pleased. What of the girls?"

"The Order's little stooge never got close to them" the Orc, a male named Mogazgur, reported, "They closed ranks too easily though. I poisoned the little one; she'll probably by dead by morning. Hopefully that'll loosen them up a bit, make it easier to grab the rest down the line".

Hmm. Unfortunate; he'd hoped to take all of them. Still, one was an acceptable sacrifice as long as it wasn't one of the two former goddesses. And even if the body was gone, if the girls kept her soul gem, then the result was the same, "They _will_ follow, won't they?" Anton asked them. Ambroise's plan required that they follow.

Lesuin nodded with a grin, "Oh, they will, don't worry about that. It might take some time, but we said all the right things and left all the right clues".

"Plus they found us without us even trying, before we were ready" the woman, Biene, said, "It's clear they have some sort method to track the shard".

"Good, good" Anton said, carefully stuffing the shard into his pack, "Then if that's everything, I suppose it's time we make our way to Rorikstead. Preparations must be made".

* * *

She didn't want this, so _of course_ Theodor had made her do it.

Homura should have just ignored the girl and left her and Theodor behind.

Yet another mistake on a mountain of mistakes.

So here Homura Akemi, former demon of an entire universe, sat at a plain wooden dinner table in a small cabin with the crazy man who wouldn't leave her alone and a boring nondescript family she'd never met. And she was eating horker stew; whatever the hell a 'horker' was.

Outside the storm raged; sleet and freezing rain. It was a torrent, and despite all her lamentations part of Homura was actually kind of glad she _wasn't_ trying to brave this. Still, this put her another day behind Madoka, so unless the other girl stuck around Solitude for a few days, Homura had no chance of catching up.

This situation was intolerable.

What was almost worse and entirely unsettling in its own right was that Theodor was acting _completely normal_, as if he were just an average uncle, regaling both Eirfa and her daughter Maeri with entirely normal (but fictional) tales about both him and Homura and where they'd supposedly come from. They were surprisingly detailed stories too; how they were from Heljarchen, how Homura's mother had been an immigrant from Akavir, and how Homura's parents had died in the wars early in her life. How they were on Homura's first real hunting trip and that they were embarking on a cross-Skyrim endeavor. And Homura had to play along the entire time.

She felt like she was going insane.

The family were...well, they were fine, Homura supposed. A little clingy. The absence of a father figure was conspicuous, but the topic hadn't come up and even Homura knew not to pry into those kinds of manners—not that she cared much anyway. Eirfa seemed overworked and exhausted though, which told Homura it probably wasn't a happy story.

As with most things, of course.

"I'm sorry the meal's so simple" Eirfa said, apologizing, "We usually don't expect guests".

"Nonsense!" Theodor said, "The meal was fantastic! Isn't that right, Homura?"

"Uh..." she froze having been put on the spot after having let her mind wonder, "Yes, thank you".

"You're not much one for talking, are you?" Eirfa asked her as she collected the dishes.

Homura glanced up at her, "I'm...just a quiet person, I suppose".

Theodor laughed, "She never been much of a conversationalist. My niece is more of a girl who speaks with actions".

Eirfa chuckled softly at that, "I suppose she does". Homura looked over and caught Maeri staring at her again before the young girl looked away in embarrassment.

"Looks like ya made a friend!" Theodor nudged Homura. She scowled at him. He added, "Aw, don't be like that! You could do with some friends. Besides me, of course".

"We're not friends".

"Oh, aren't we though?"

"So Theodor said you two are headed for Solitude?" Eirfa asked as she returned to the table with a number of cups of tea for everyone. She handed them out and sat down.

"That's correct!" Theodor replied, "We're taking a break from hunting to check in with some old friends. I'm sure they'll just be _ecstatic _to see us".

Homura absentmindedly gripped her tea tightly.

Eirfa smiled sadly, "It's funny, I've lived within a day's trip there all my life yet never been".

"You should go sometime!" Theodor said with a grin, "Beautiful place, kind of crazy to build a city on a delicate rock arch that could fall into the ocean at any moment, but that's what I love about it! It's creative. The Blue Palace is a hoot too; especially the south wing".

"You've been to the palace?" Eirfa asked in astonishment.

Theodor chuckled, "I've been just about anywhere. I can't ever stick around in one place for very long; call me crazy".

"Lond, my husband, always promised to take me when he saved up enough money" Eirfa said wistfully. She chuckled, "Sadly, the fishery here always needs me, and I need the money".

Something about this felt oddly warm and nostalgic to Homura, despite her best efforts to feel nothing but disinterest and irritation. It was…

...It felt almost like those early days, didn't it? Those precious first few timeline loops, when Madoka would invite her over to dinner with her family. Those scant few occasions when Homura had been blessed with the barest inkling of what it would have been like with real friends. With a real family. The smell of delicious food, the warm atmosphere. Madoka's brother, pulling at her braids and babbling happily. Madoka's mother, so confident and radiant, always gently teasing or giving Homura heartfelt advice. Madoka's father, always the emotional pillar and such a good cook.

And Madoka.

Just...Madoka. Radiant. Forgiving. Understanding. Patient. Beautiful. Confident or not, but always with that bright, cheerful smile that could make even the rainiest day feel warm and sunny.

"...Are you okay?" Eirfa asked her with concern, shaking Homura from her train of thought. Homura touched her cheek, finding it wet.

"I..." she'd been _crying_. She couldn't do this, not here. Homura stood up with a brisk bow, "Excuse me" and left the cabin before anyone could say anything, stepping outside into the cold and protected from the downpour only by the small cabin's overhang. After a moment with a shuddering breath she sat down in the doorway, trying to get herself under control, her face clutched in her hand as she wiped the tears away.

She was supposed to be beyond this. She was beyond people, she was beyond humanity, she was beyond friendship. She'd been a concept, a force of will. She'd left Madoka and everyone else behind and abandoned those silly, childish emotions in pursuit of her mission, her promise. None of this was for her. She didn't deserve it.

"...I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

Eirfa stood at the door with a concerned expression on her face.

"I..." Homura steadied herself as she stood back up. She didn't have the right to break down, "No. I apologize, that outburst was uncalled for".

"Are...you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine" Homura said, wishing this conversation would just end, "But I think it's getting late. We should probably get some sleep".

Eirfa's concern didn't waver, but she acquiesced with a sigh, allowing Homura back into the house before she closed and locked the door.

* * *

As it turned out, sleep evaded one Homura Akemi. She lay in the spare bed on one side with an aggressively snoring Theodor next to the window.

_It reminded her of the sleepovers._

No, stop that.

"Why are you always so sad?"

Homura nearly jumped at the voice in her ear. She turned to see Maeri standing there over her bed. Homura sat up, "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Shouldn't you be too?"

Homura sighed. _Kids._ "What do you want?" she asked with a whisper.

"You don't smile. Your uncle smiles. Why?"

Homura stared blankly at the young girl, not sure _in the slightest_ in how to respond to that, "I..." she fumbled for words. This was why she hated conversation, "I don't really have much to be happy about right now, I suppose".

"Why not? Your Uncle seems happy! Doesn't he try to make you happy?"

"He's not-" Homura stopped herself; best not to throw away the cover story. "He...tries, I think" Maybe? Not really. More likely he was trying to unnerve her or piss her off or use her for something or...honestly, Homura did not know what Theodor's goals were even after all this time and it unsettled her. Every time she thought she was on the right track to figuring him out he'd turn around and do something absolutely perplexing and she'd be back to square one.

He was like a walking gaslight.

"Why aren't you then?"

Homura glanced away, looking out the window where the sleet had at some point transformed into falling snow, "...I don't deserve to be happy".

Maeri seemed disappointed in that answer, "Why not?"

"I'm not a good person".

"You saved me" Maeri countered, as if that was a good enough rebuttal, "I think you're a good person".

Homura couldn't help but give a half-smile at the kid's earnestness. Her eyes didn't deviate from the snow falling outside the window. Years upon years of April, and then over the last two weeks suddenly she'd been plunged back into a harsher winter then she'd ever seen in central Japan's mild climate.

"I've done a lot of bad things" she said at last, still transfixed on the outside.

"Are you sorry?"

She almost answered with a blunt 'no'. She almost broke the kid's heart right there. But Homura held her tongue; she wasn't going to crush a six year old's idealism...at least not without some context, "Sometimes when you grow up, there will be things you have to do, even if you don't want to do them".

Maeri blinked in confusion, "Like...taking a bath?"

Homura actually snorted at that. Something about the kid was actually getting past her defenses. She realized this and redoubled herself, "Not exactly".

"...I don't understand".

Homura's slight amusement gave way to a sad half-smile, "...I hope you never do". Silence settled over them for a moment. Maeri didn't know where else to take the conversation, and Homura didn't have anything to add. Just before Maeri was about to give up and go back to bed though, Homura decided to change the topic a bit.

"Maeri...what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Maeri thought for a moment, then a grin formed on her lips, "I wanna go places and have adventures! My daddy did that before..." the smile vanished, and Homura had a fair idea of what had happened. Still, it was better than what she'd assumed, that he'd just ditched them like her own parents.

"He was an adventurer?"

Maeri nodded, "He didn't go very far away, but he made money. He helped people. I wanna help people too".

"You'd leave your mother behind, like your father?" Homura asked her, noting the twinkle in the girl's eyes, even in the dark. That idealism, that optimism. She'd seen it so many times. So eager to cast away everything and leap into the void.

Homura's words made the girl hesitant, "I..."

She put her hand on Maeri's shoulder, "You'd make your mother sad if something happened, wouldn't you? You should stay here, where it's safe. Just stay in your village and grow old and happy here where you won't change or lose what's important".

Maeri gave Homura a quizzical look, "But what about you? Didn't you leave home?"

"I did" Homura said darkly, "But I didn't have a choice".

"...So what do _you_ want to do when you grow up?"

The question struck Homura. A miserable childhood without future prospects. Over a decade trapped in an endless time loop of her own making. A career in a field where life expectancy was measured in months if not weeks. Surrendering her humanity so god could have her happy ending.

And then what?

The future didn't exist for Homura. The future was a nebulous hypothetical that happened to _other_ people and the thought of it was alien to her. All that mattered to Homura was the now...and the then. She'd intentionally made it a point not to think about what would happen when Madoka got old, because that was a problem she'd fix when she got to it. If she got to it.

Madoka getting old; how silly. Homura had had half a mind to just keep looping the same year for her over and over on eternity. It reduced the risk of unintended consequences, it kept unknown factors from arising that could make her unhappy...there were downsides of course, but the upsides had been so appealing. A dreamlike eternity of happiness. An eternal spring where no one suffered or died. Paradise.

Of course Madoka deserved that.

"…I have someone I need to protect" she said after a moment in thought, "That's all that matters".

Maeri put her hand on Homura's. The latter almost recoiled at the unexpected touch. "...I still think you're a good person, even if you don't smile" the younger girl said earnestly. Homura's face flushed—inwardly she was incredibly glad it was so dark out.

"I...you don't...that's not..." Homura stumbled over her words before finally muttering, almost against her will, "...Thank you".

The conversation ended there; both girls heard a commotion outside—glass breaking and screams, and from the window Homura could see the faint glow of flickering red and orange.

That couldn't be good.

"...Homura?" Maeri asked hesitantly.

"Stay here" Homura said, putting on her boots, "I'll be right back". She grabbed her weapons and gear and stepped outside, leaving Maeri behind. From where he'd been sleeping, Theodor's eye shot open with a manic, expectant grin on his face like a kid waiting for his presents.

Ah, _Excellent._ Now the fun could begin!


	12. 1x11 Believe whatever you want

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: BELIEVE WHATEVER YOU WANT**

* * *

Sayaka rubbed the sweat building on her forehead off with her hand while keeping the other holding a healing spell focused on Nagisa's body in front of her. She was still incredibly, absolutely livid with the girl after what she'd—Sayaka steadied herself. It didn't matter right now; she didn't wish actual painful death on her former coworker. So what if she was the reason that—Sayaka steadied herself, again. They both rested on a thin straw pile in the small jail cell within the local city district's dungeon the group now found themselves in, guarded by thick ward enchantments.

Thinking idly as she worked (and attempting to get her mind off of less nice topics), Sayaka wondered if their powers as magical girls had somehow influenced how they were learning magic now, or if they had all just gravitated towards what they were already used to. Madoka was focusing on light spells, Sayaka had picked up healing magic like it was nothing—far faster than anyone else, while Kyoko had been unable to succeed at even the simplest illusion, though her offensive magic was nothing to laugh at.

Unfortunately, even though she was quickly becoming the team healer once more, Sayaka wasn't having much luck with Nagisa. She could fix the stab wound and keep the girl stable, but whenever Sayaka stopped Nagisa's vitals would begin to fall. The others had suspected poison, but the sum of Sayaka's knowledge in that field mostly amounted to 'don't drink bleach'. Without knowing more Sayaka couldn't even narrow down what 'cure poison' spell she should use, if she were even lucky enough to know the right one. At any rate, Nagisa had very quickly developed a really bad fever and it was only getting worse.

"You doing okay?" Kyoko asked, sitting down next to her after realizing that Sayaka was really starting to struggle; heavy breathing, sweaty skin, unfocused eyes. She'd been at this for a bit.

"Yeah" Sayaka said, "Running low on magic again though. I'm probably going to need another-" Kyoko was well ahead of her and gifted the girl another magicka potion with a smile. Sayaka took it gratefully, "Thanks" she said, before uncorking it with her teeth and then guzzling it down. When she finished she had a pained expression as her body involuntarily shuddered. She felt ill, "Ugh, stuff tastes awful. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up. Another round of potion and I might be emptying it all over the floor".

"Just tell us if you need a break and I'll step in for a bit" Mami said gently, brushing a lock of Nagisa's hair aside. The younger girl was dead to the world; she'd not woken up once since being locked up. Worry was etched on Mami's face.

"I'm still okay" Sayaka replied, but a moment later a flash of dizziness took over and she nearly fell backwards from her sitting arrangement.

Kyoko managed to grab her, "Woah, okay, no. I think you're done. Mami?"

The blonde nodded and began weaving her own healing spell, "Agreed. Take a break Sayaka, you've done enough for now".

Sayaka leaned back against Kyoko as she struggled to keep something down, "Ugh...I feel like I'm gonna vomit".

"Don't you dare. If you gotta go, go do it in the corner" Kyoko warned, then turned to Mami, "Didn't they say they were going to send healers down to us? What are they waiting for, a tip?"

Mami shook her head, "I don't know. I hope they come soon though, because Nagisa's not getting any better".

"I hope Madoka's having better luck than us" Sayaka groaned. Her face bunched up as a sudden wave of nausea overtook her, "Uh oh". She pulled away from Kyoko and dragged herself over to the corner where she emptied herself of multiple potions.

Kyoko recoiled, "Pretty sure we're cursed, so probably not" she paused as she caught a whiff of what Sayaka was hurling up, "...Oh, _eugh_".

"Yeah that's fine, nobody _help me _or anything" Sayaka managed to get out before wiping her mouth.

"Nagisa Momoe?"

The group looked up at the two robed Nords standing outside their cell, flanked by a guard. One was an elder lady, the other was a young man barely out of school—clearly the former's apprentice.

"That's her" Mami said, motioning down to where Nagisa lay.

The guard unlocked the gate and the elder lady spoke again, "Come with us".

"Uh..." the girls were confused.

The woman rolled her eyes, "We're taking you to a healing room so we can help your friend. Unless you'd rather we work in these squalid conditions with" she sniffed the air, then glanced down at Sayaka's vomit with disdain, "...Your mess. Eugh, novices. Let me guess, drank too much potion?"

Sayaka blushed with a nod.

The lady shook her head and turned to Mami, "May we have the girl?"

Mami nodded and let the healers take Nagisa before the group got up and followed.

* * *

Madoka decided she was not having a good evening.

The former deity currently found herself sitting in a wooden chair in front of a small desk, her wrists bound together. The room was...well, unappealing in her opinion. It was nothing but oppressive, cold, and dimly-lit stonework, which she supposed was fitting for a dungeon.

Captain Lazghal glared at her from the other side of the desk. Her black hair was up in a bun, her eyes were narrowed, and the Orc tusks sticking out of her mouth only made her frown even more imposing.

"So let me get this straight" the captain said in disbelief, "You claim the Psijic Order, a highly secretive organization that keeps to itself, sent you, a group of teenage yet heavily armed Akaviri girls, to meet up with one" she checked her sheet, "Ilindhar, to retrieve an artifact. Ilindhar was then murdered earlier this evening, supposedly _before _you broke into his house. You were then attacked by the apparent _real _perpetrators and then decided to hash it out on a main street with civilian lives on the line. Does that about cover it?"

"Uh...yes ma'am" Madoka said, a bit sheepish. Once someone said it out loud, their defense seemed a little um...well, suspect.

"And why exactly did the Order want you to pick up an artifact?" the captain asked her blandly.

Madoka shuffled in embarrassment, "It's...kind of complicated..."

"Try me".

Madoka's expression became even more sheepish, "Uh...the artifact is a fragment of another world containing the souls of millions of people that we're trying to collect and rebuild from…?" she trailed off, knowing full well this was the end of the line of this conversation. They were going to have to go with Kyoko's suggestion and just break out and make a run for it.

Lazghal stared at Madoka flatly for a few seconds before she sighed with irritation and massaged the bridge of her nose, "You are so damned lucky, you know that?"

"I...excuse me?" Madoka asked, suddenly very confused as to what was happening.

The Orc grunted as she returned to her glare, "I've had my men conducting an investigation since I threw you and your friends in here. Illindhar _was _a documented member of the Psijic Order, and his death _was_ at the end of a poisoned Reach blade—something none of you kids touched, thankfully. Between that and eyewitness testimony that you were fighting Reach assassins who apparently went out of their way to state who they worked for, and I have no choice but to let you go, regardless of how insane and made-up the rest of your story sounds".

"...Oh" Madoka said, surprised, "Um...thank you?"

"Don't" Lazghal said, "This is a delicate situation. Neither the King nor my superiors want war with The Reach, nor do any of us want anything to do with the Psijic Order or whatever...all _this_ is. More than that, I don't really want my superiors cracking down on my precinct. So here's the deal, kid: charges will be dropped, and in return we want you out of Solitude as soon as possible. I don't care where you go, I don't care what you do. But you and your friends are not welcome here, understood?"

They were being kicked out. Madoka supposed this was probably the best case she could have hoped for, considering. There was just one problem, "...What about my friend? Nagisa, she was wounded in the fight. We think she was poisoned".

"I ordered healers before we started this meeting; they'll be there to stabilize her as soon as some are freed up. My men have been analyzing the poison on the blade and we should have what we're dealing with narrowed down soon".

"I see" Madoka said, "Thank you". Lazghal gave her the go-ahead to leave, so she stood up and prepared to leave with the guards. One of them unbound her hands, thankfully.

"...Look" the captain said with a bit of remorse when Madoka stepped through the opened door. Madoka turned back to face her, "I get that you're not bad kids. So...just be careful, huh?"

Madoka gave her a sad smile, "We'll try our best".

* * *

True to Lazghal's word, by the time Madoka was done with her meeting, the others had been moved from their cramped cell and into a larger room with a bed. Two healers in simple robes had taken over Mami and Sayaka's task of keeping Nagisa alive while the others watched.

"So is anyone else freaked out those guys apparently knew all about us?" Sayaka asked the others, "Who were they?"

Madoka frowned in thought, "We were also attacked by hagravens when we were headed to Winterhold" she said. She looked at Sayaka, "They wanted our soul gems. They almost took you".

"...Oh. Um" Sayaka was a little taken aback by the revelation, "Thanks for not letting them".

"You're welcome" Mami said, standing over Nagisa as she watched the healers work, "It was a close-run thing".

Yikes; that didn't make Sayaka feel any better.

"I hope Homura hasn't run into them" Madoka said with worry, "She's all alone out there". The Reach. A place of cannibals, necromancers, and dark gods—or so the guidebook said. Still, between their two encounters, Madoka wasn't keen on on them, and the thought that they might have to visit the region, or worse that Homura could be trapped there by herself, was upsetting to say the least.

Sayaka visibly tensed at Homura's name, though Madoka didn't quite notice. It was hardly the first time her name had come up since Madoka was constantly worried about her despite, y'know, _everything_, but the thought that Homura was somewhere out there, and that Madoka was looking for her and that she could someday join the group and Madoka would just let her...Kyoko must have realized Sayaka was starting to spiral, because she put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, giving her a chance to calm herself.

Madoka meanwhile had adopted a far-away expression for not the first time this evening, looking distinctly to the southwest.

"Madoka, are you alright?" Mami asked, noting the girl's seeming preoccupation.

"Hmm?" Madoka asked, snapping back to reality, "Yeah, sorry. It's just..."

"...You can feel the shard" Mami guessed.

Madoka nodded, "Yeah. Now that I know what I'm looking for, I can feel the pull. It's getting dimmer, but still there".

"That's great!" Sayaka said, cheering up a bit, "That means we can track them when we're done here!"

Great; back to saving all the people of Earth, Kyoko thought blandly. Including Madoka's would-have-been family, apparently, even though they were just strangers now. Not that Madoka or Homura had ever bothered to ask Kyoko if she'd have liked to have _her_ family back or anything. Yay, gods.

...Why was it starting to feel like she was only ever just a pawn in all this?

Kyoko shrugged off those dark thoughts. "Speaking of being stuck here" she turned to the healers working on Nagisa, "What's wrong with her anyway?"

"Blackmead is a type of poison often used by Forsworn agents. It's effective, fast-acting, and incredibly deadly when left untreated" said the old healer, "There are a few different strands, each depending on the subspecies of flower used, but most can be counteracted with frostbite venom".

Sayaka was skeptical, "...Venom to cure poison?"

The woman sighed as if exasperated by a child, "Blackmead is so named, aside from it being a jab at Nord culture, because of the warm fever-like symptoms it demonstrates as the body attacks itself and literally tries to burn itself to death. Frostbite venom by contrast affects the body by slowing it down; it's a paralysis agent. A safe dosage neutralizes and counteracts the Blackmead long enough for the body to flush it out".

"So you can help her then" Mami said, relieved.

"If I had any frostbite venom on me, I could. Sadly our stocks are low, and we haven't had a chance to restock. You'll have to track down the spiders yourselves".

Kyoko's expression became troubled, "...Spiders?"

"Frostbite spiders, yes" the healer said, "You can find them just about anywhere. There's a cave just outside Solitude where we usually harvest them from".

"It'll be fine" Madoka said reassuringly when she saw both Kyoko and Sayaka stiffening, "I'll grab some telekinesis scrolls from the bag and a jar".

"Someone should stay here with Nagisa" Mami said sadly, feeling the heat radiating from Nagisa by putting her hand on her forehead, "Just in case".

"...Maybe I should stay here too" Kyoko mused, on edge, "Y'know, just in case".

"Oh no" Sayaka grabbed her friend's arm and began to lead her away, "If I have to deal with spiders, so do you".

Kyoko looked to Mami for help, "Mami, tell her. You could use my help, right?"

Mami gave her a diplomatic smile, "You and Sayaka work well together. I wouldn't want to impede that. This is a one-person job anyway".

Kyoko glared back at her as she was dragged off, "Don't think I'll forget this! Betrayal! BETRAYAL!"

* * *

The village was on fire; that was immediately apparent as Homura exited the house with her bow in hand. She turned the corner to where the screams were coming from; ahead of her people were being woken up to the sound of other people being slaughtered. At first Homura couldn't figure out what was happening; a number of the cabins were on fire and there were bodies on the ground, red now staining the snow they'd fallen into. One of them was one of the boys she'd threatened earlier that evening.

And then she saw it: a large bipedal creature pushing itself out of the cabin that was a bit to small for it. It had thick, matted brown fur and sharp canine teeth. It was like a bear, but far too humanoid.

Then it caught sight of her.

The creature snarled as it towered over the teenager, then roared. Homura rolled out of the way as it pounced on her with inhuman speed, sending snow flying in all directions. She landed a short distance away in a crouch and let loose with an arrow that lodged itself into the creature's shoulder. All it did was piss it off.

Oh, well, _crap._

The bear creature swiped at her. Homura slowed time.

It wasn't quite like her old abilities; she couldn't stop time entirely and it could only give her a momentary reprieve. But it was enough—the bear's claws almost casually came down on her, giving her a brief chance to step away and invoke an invisibility spell. When time resumed its proper flow, the bear's claws hit empty snow and it looked around, confused.

...Right as Homura decloaked in midair from behind, a bound sword she'd summoned from Oblivion gripped in her hand as she landed on top of the beast. She swung her sword—it _screamed._

No, like literally. It sounded like an old man's scream whenever she swung it through the air. They were comical screams too, not in the least intimidating.

_What the hell?_ That hadn't been like that during training. She was going to have to ask Theodor about that later; she couldn't go around swinging a sword that made her look so silly.

Whatever, she had bigger issues at the moment. Homura jammed the ghostly weapon into the creature's neck and it roared in pain, trying to shake her off.

* * *

Up above atop a small cliff on the edge of town, hidden under a small grove of pine trees stood Theodor, watching with grim amusement as Homura faced off against the much larger creature.

"A werebear!" he exclaimed in astonishment, "Why Hircine, I didn't think you'd go to the trouble".

A ghostly apparition of an elk walked up beside the Breton, **"****Is**** it not to your expectations?"**

Theodor laughed, "On the contrary! I thought you'd half-ass it, give me a basic werewolf or one of those big cat things. No, no. Bears are inherently funny! Also murderous. Which makes them even funnier!"

**"I have fulfilled my ****debt**** to you. ****We are even****"** the elk stated plainly. It paused, then asked, **"Why waste it on this girl? ****She is a fine hunter, but such things do not interest you****".**

Theodor turned to the animal as Homura was thrown free of the werebear and crashed into the side of a building, "Waste? Nah, I needed _someone_ to tell her where her friends were. If I'd told her from the start she would have been suspicious".

"**...It sounds like you have a plan"** Hircine said curiously.

"Of course I have a plan!" Theodor grinned, "I always have a plan! I just don't always know what that plan is until I'm about halfway through" he paused, thinking, "...Except those times I didn't have a plan. But I always try to have a have some method to my madness. Except when I don't. Sometimes its fun to just let things happen and then claim responsibility afterward; keeps people on their toes".

"**You're rambling, Madgod".**

Theodor gave a reluctant smile, then turned his attention back to the fight. Homura had just slid under the werebear's legs and come out the other side, "You know how to kill the mood, don't you? Fine, fine". Theodor breathed and rippled away, replaced by someone who looked just like him except that he _wasn't._ Golden cat eyes that shone in the dark. A wide smile with too many teeth. A distinguished beard. Instead of robes, a fancy suit in garish clashing colors. A cane in his hand. An unearthly aura.

Sheogorath watched as Homura unleashed a fire spell, then dodged the singed bear's attack, "What do you see when you look at that girl?"

**"A hunter, as I said. She is competent. Had it not been for your interference, she would likely have caught her quarry by now"**.

"You are so one-note" the prince of madness said with a hint of boredom, "Would it kill you to take up some hobbies? No" he turned back to the fight, his characteristic smile vanishing with a glare as he spoke with disdain, "No...when I look at her, I see a wayward child. So much potential, yet so squandered. She desires order, stability, control. For all her manic impulses and desires, for all her demented self-loathing and paranoia, she's simply another Jyggalag, obsessed with how she thinks things should be. Trapped in an endless Greymarch of her own making".

"**So why bother with her?"**

Sheogorath laughed, "It's driving you mad, isn't it? Surly you've noticed the magic of the Aurbis shifting since their arrival" when Hircine didn't respond, Sheogorath continued, "Don't bother lying to me; I know you and the others have been gathering shards since The Event. You've all been claiming pawns like the boring plebes you are" Sheogorath smiled when Homura dodged another swipe, "So I just decided to claim the queen on the board while you weren't looking. She's a bit of a work-in-progress, but we're having fun".

"**What are your intentions?"**

He seemingly ignored the question, "Ah, you know what hobby you could get into? Storytelling. You don't even have to learn how to write!" the elk gave him a look, "What? I'm just saying, the stories almost tell themselves! Look" Sheogorath pointed down to where Homura had summoned another bound sword, "Act one: introduce the hero. Show the audience why they should care. Showcase her struggles and desires!" Homura caught the beast's claws with her blade, only for the other paw to come down at her side, "Act two: give the hero a reason to be invested! Give her something to fight for! Act three..." Sheogorath's smile twisted into something dark and predatory as he caught sight of Maeri sneaking towards the fight to get a better look.

"...Threaten to take that something away".

The werebear had grabbed Homura and pinned her against the wall of a building. She struggled to free herself, trying to summon up a fireball only to find she was out of magic.

The snapping of a branch on the ground caught both of their attentions. Homura turned in horror to see Maeri standing there, the younger girl suddenly realizing she had just messed up real bad. The bear roared and dropped Homura, turning its attention on the young girl.

"MAERI, RUN!" Homura yelled. Maeri screamed and did as she was told, but the werebear was on her.

Homura needed magic. She needed it _now._

Taking a deep breath, Homura converted some of her own life energy into magicka. Her body immediately felt the drain as strength and vitality left her, but she was desperate.

Time slowed.

Homura forced herself up, bee-lining for the kid and grabbing her right before time returned to normal. The two girls tumbled into a snowbank.

"What are you doing here?!" Homura yelled as she picked the girl up, "I told you to stay inside!" Why didn't anyone ever listen to her?! Idly Homura wondered if she should start telling people to do dumb things in the hope they'd do the opposite.

"Maeri?" Eirfa's voice carried. Homura looked over towards the cabin she'd been staying at as she ran. Great, the mother was out and about now too. Wonderful.

The beast came down on them, and Homura pushed forward, barely evading the claws as she landed on her side, Maeri landing about two meters away.

"Maeri?!" Eirfa exclaimed in confused fear as she saw her daughter get flung like a ragdoll...and then she saw what they'd been running from, "…What..."

And unfortunately, it saw _her_.

Using both hands, Homura charged up a fireball with all the magic she had left and let it fly, striking the monster right in the chest. Its fur ignited and the force of the impact sent it stumbling back. Homura turned to Maeri and her mother, "_RUN!"_

Eirfa needed no further explanation. The single mother scooped up her daughter and fled out of town towards the forest, leaving Homura to fend for herself. Incredibly pissed off, the werebear let out a guttural roar and _charged._

* * *

"And here we are; Sandpike Grotto" Sayaka said glumly, looking at the map they'd been given as the three girls stood outside the dark cave. The healer hadn't been wrong; the cave really was just outside of town, down at the banks of the Karth River. They could even see the lights of the city illuminating the city arch just north of them. Above them a candlelight spell Madoka had invoked slowly circled the group, bathing them in pale light.

"Yay" Kyoko muttered, equally unenthused, "Spider cave. Truly, this world has everything".

Sayaka flipped the map aside to look at the diagram of the frostbite spider they were looking for. It was thick and bulbous...and hairy, "Ugh, these things are going to be the size of my hand, aren't they?"

"It'll be fine" Madoka reassured her whining companions with a bashful smile, though wondered if she maybe should have brought a bigger jar. Whatever; they couldn't be _that_ big. With her candlelight guiding her she entered the dark cavern, her friends reluctantly following.

"The things I do for people who literally sold me out to the devil" Sayaka grumbled.

"...Sayaka" Madoka said in a tone that was somewhere between sympathetic and chastising. Kyoko gave her a brief glance and then looked away uncomfortably.

"What?" Sayaka asked bitterly, "I'm saving her, aren't I? I'm doing the right thing. I _know. _Spare me the lecture". She knew Madoka was all-forgiving, but _come on_, she could at least be disappointed at the girl who had betrayed them all. Madoka had been hurt too, hadn't she? Didn't the fact that Nagisa had abandoned her mission and went AWOL mean anything?

"She's not the one who hurt you" Kyoko said, "Come on, Sayaka".

Sayaka wheeled on her friend with an angry look, "Oh? Were you there? Do you know more than me? She was just playing around while the Demon went into my mind and _rewrote _me! I bet she's the one who set me up to get captured the last time too".

Both Madoka and Kyoko inwardly flinched at Sayaka's refusal to use Homura's name, "No she didn't" Kyoko said, then almost gasped when she realized how close she was to implicating herself "...We never told her. She never knew".

A lie. Hardly the first lie Kyoko had ever told, but Sayaka bought it, "...Whatever" she grumbled in irritation as she turned away.

"Sayaka, are you _sure_ you're okay?" Madoka asked worriedly. She knew the signs; the attempted facade, the sudden angry outbursts, the blame-throwing, the nightmares… "I told you, if you need to talk..."

"I'm fine" she said sharply. Sure, no one seemed to be holding anyone accountable for the _literal __end of the world,_ but she was fine. Sure, she'd had everything, even who she was forcibly taken from her, sure she'd felt the Demon claw into her mind without her consent before having it sucked out through a straw, sure she'd been imprisoned and had her soul forcibly filled to the brim with wraiths and curses and had her essence devoured piece by piece, but she was fine, sure everyone she'd ever known was dead and everything she'd done had been for nothing and it was because she'd messed everything up _again_ but she was _fine._

"You don't seem fine" Madoka said, following after her. She grabbed her shoulder.

"Well I am". Why couldn't she just let it drop?

"Come on, Sayaka". Goddamnit, Kyoko. Not you too.

Sure, Madoka was seemingly endlessly worried about the Demon, even after what she'd done to both of them and the universe as a whole, but it was fine. Sure, she wanted her back with the group even when Sayaka was having constant nightmares, but it was fine. Sure, they were having to worry about Nagisa, it was fine. Sayaka herself was worthless and useless and awful and just making trouble for everyone like she always did and she was a terrible person for feeling this way when Nagisa was dying but it was _fine_ and why did everything feel so crushing and suffocating and she couldn't breath-

"Sayaka-"

"What do you _want from me?!_" Sayaka snapped and angrily demanded from a shocked Madoka as she pushed her hand aside, glaring down at the shorter girl with her fists clenched, "What!? Yeah, okay, _fine._ Your 'friend' brainwashed me, stole my memories and identity from me, turned me into her puppet, and then imprisoned me and _flayed my_ _soul_ with wraiths when I disagreed and left me to die! And then she _killed everyone! _All because you wanted to _save her_! Is that what you wanted me to say!? Are you happy now!?" Then she saw the expressions on both Madoka and Kyoko—the worry, the concern, the fear. The shame in Madoka's eyes as Sayaka's unintended accusation took hold. Guilt in Kyoko's—probably the fact that she'd not been able to help her, Sayaka assumed.

Sayaka's rage broke in a flash of her own shame and guilt and she backed off as she realized what she was doing. It was all happening again. She was slipping. After being brought into the Law of Cycles, Sayaka thought herself as better; wiser. Enlightened. More self-aware. Ultimate Sayaka. She had been the person she'd always wanted to be. Yet here she was, yelling at Madoka again. Blaming her. Hurting her.

"I..."

"Sayaka..." Madoka reached out with worry, but Sayaka turned and walked away.

"Look" she said, trying to calm herself back down, "I shouldn't have said that. Let's just findWOAH-" Sayaka vanished from view, swallowed up by the earth. She'd stepped forward and then the ground beneath her had just given way.

"SAYAKA!" Kyoko and Madoka both shouted with alarm as the sinkhole she'd vanished into got bigger until it slowly stopped expanding.

"Sayaka!?" Madoka called after her friend, careful not to step too close to the edge, in fear of making the sinkhole resume its expansion.

"Uuugh" the girl in question grunted as she pulled her very wet self up from the flooded ground, "I'm not dead! Uh...no more than the usual, I mean" she called back and looked around at the darkness surround her, "...Where am I?" The water came up to her knees, but beyond that it was pitch black and she couldn't see anything.

"Let's find out!" Kyoko said, before happily leaping in after her friend.

Madoka looked on in shock as she did so, "Kyoko, what—" she sighed with a deadpan when the redhead was already gone. Kyoko landed with a satisfying THUNK, though the fall was much further than she'd assumed.

"Kyoko!" Sayaka complained as she was showered by the spray from her friend's landing.

"What?" Kyoko asked with a grin, "You were already wet!"

Up above Madoka sighed, "Fine" she leaped in after the others, hoping there was an easy way out. She dropped down into the water next to the other two and then summoned a magelight, illuminating the chamber they found themselves in.

Because that's what it was: this wasn't a cave, this was man-made. They were catacombs of some sort, rounded walls with intricate with intricate etchings. Jars and pots littered the room, half-submerged.

"...Woah" Sayaka said breathlessly, her earlier issues momentarily forgotten, "What _is_ all this?"

Madoka brushed her hand over the surface of a pillar, "...Ruins of some kind. Didn't the guidebook say something about Nordic tombs?"

Kyoko shrugged nonchalantly, "I dunno. I probably skipped over that part of the book".

"You skipped over most of the book" Sayaka weakly snickered.

"Only the boring parts!"

Madoka meanwhile looked up at where they'd come from. It was at least five stories up. She sighed, "No way back where we came from. Hopefully there's another exit".

"...Can the telekinesis scrolls we brought lift us up?" Sayaka asked Madoka.

Madoka shook her head, "I don't think so. They're for small objects, levitation is for bigger ones and we don't have any of those".

Kyoko glanced back at her, then at the hole they'd fallen through, "Ah, it's fine. They wouldn't have built a place without an exit..." she frowned as the thought occurred that this was a _tomb_, "...Right?"

Madoka looked past Kyoko where an archway into the next room stood, "Come on" she said, taking the lead, though sparing a glance at Sayaka when she wasn't looking, "We'll find one".

* * *

Homura was really regretting the fact that she'd left the handful of magic potions she possessed back on the boat. That was a stupid mistake, really stupid, and now she was paying for it.

She was out of mana, her reserves were replenishing too slowly, and she was loathe to repeat the same spell as before to convert her lifeforce into more power, especially considering how the werebear had already done a number on her.

The running battle had dragged on out of town and into the forest. For some reason the werebear had its sights on the family Homura had been staying with and she'd been doing her best to slow it down and give them time to lose the trail.

More confusing to her was the fact that she was trying so hard to save them. People died all the time; she was no stranger to it. How many Mitakiharas had she seen burn? How many civilians had she seen lost to Labyrinths? How many Kyokos and Mamis and Sayakas had she seen die? How many had she been forced to put down? How many Orikos and Kirikas had she killed preemptively 'just in case'? This wasn't her mission and in fact was actively slowing down her progress and yet...she was still here fighting, and she found herself unable to be willing to extract herself.

It would be so easy since she clearly wasn't the monster's target now that it had the family's scent. But every time she thought about it, she just...couldn't do it. She'd told Maeri to stay home and take care of her mother. What good was that advice if they were dead and their home destroyed?

And just maybe Maeri reminded her a little too much of a certain pink-haired girl, more than she was comfortable admitting.

She evaded another swipe, rolling over the snow before loosing another arrow.

She was getting low on those, too.

Where the hell was Theodor?!

A tree saved her from another swing and she found herself thrown to the ground as the tree splintered and broke.

She didn't have a choice.

Using what little magic she'd managed to recoup, Homura again borrowed from her own lifeforce, draining herself. She let out a haggard breath as she stumbled to her feet, powered again but weak and nauseous. Homura wasn't sure if she could do that a third time; she needed to be smart with what was left of her magic.

The monster had to have a weakness, right? The troll she'd fought had; she'd discovered that despite its incredible regenerative abilities, it was very weak against fire, a fact that had saved her life. But so far nothing she'd thrown at the bear had done anything more than slow it down. It was covered in scorched fur, lacerations from blade strikes, and more than a dozen arrows were lodged in its hide.

A screech from Maeri alerted the bear to her location.

"NO!" Homura shouted. As the bear turned, she leaped forward, grabbing the creature's back fur as it lunged forward, ignoring the girl hanging on in desperation. Homura didn't get it—she was clearly the more dangerous target, why did the beast want the little girl and her mother so bad? It raced forward as the sounds of Maeri's sobbing got closer and closer.

Then the ground beneath them vanished; the bear had leaped off a cliff-face and soared through the air for a moment before dropping down to the earth below. Almost directly beneath them Homura could see them—two bodies, one sprawled on on the ground and unmoving, and the other a child huddled over it.

Oh no. The implication was obvious. Eirfa had accidentally ran off the cliff, being unable to see well in the dark. Homura couldn't tell if she was alive or not.

"NO!" Homura yanked as hard as she could, ripping hair directly off the beast. It gave a pained roar as it stumbled back, away from the two would-be victims. Homura grabbed a dagger from her belt and stabbed the beast, slashing away at its back as it tried to throw her off. She was about to try for another round of hacking when the bear finally got wise and slammed its back into the rock wall as hard as it could, crushing Homura's body in the process. Then it did it again, and again, and again. After the fifth time, Homura finally let go, unable to do much more than exist at that point. She slumped to the ground and the bear once again turned its attention on the other girls.

Homura coughed up blood. Her vision was spinning. She couldn't get up. Her body ached.

She was going to fail. Again.

No. She _couldn't._

Though sheer force of will, Homura got into a crouch, slowed time, and then threw herself under the monster, between its legs, in a mad, blind dash to her target. As she slid over the snow and towards the front of the creature as it came down, and summoned two bound swords as time resumed, one in each hand. They screamed as she aimed.

She screamed too.

_Do something worthwhile for once in your wretched life._

The blades impacted the paws of the werebear dead-on as the claws came down, stabbing right up the bear's arms.

"RUN!" she screamed at Maeri, holding the monster at bay. The shocked girl nodded numbly, then grabbed her mother's fallen body and started to pull her away. She wasn't going to get very far like that.

God damn it.

Her magic was low. Her strength was spent. She could barely move. She was pretty sure she was bleeding from a few different places—and probably not all of them were exterior wounds.

There was one spell she hadn't tried. Theodor had warned her about it, telling her it was only for extreme situations. Last ditch efforts.

Well, she was pretty sure this qualified.

Homura charged up a flame spell and sent it up her sword blades at the beast, giving her time as the monster recoiled. She let go of the weapons—they were just summoned daedra anyway and rolled back to give herself some space. She pulled out the scroll.

It was a conjuration spell, he'd told her. Using it she would summon a powerful daedric spirit, fearsome and vicious. It would be like a plague upon the land, wild and uncontrollable and was thus reserved for only the most dire of situations.

As she drew up the spell from the scroll, Homura wondered what it would be. A Dremora? A Harvester? A Titan? Something worse?

Her fist lit up with purple energy as the scroll evaporated into ash, indicating her spell was ready. As the bear came for her again she thrust her fist into the snow, impacting the ground. And as the bear was upon her, another beast formed in its path.

It was...it was…

...A scamp. Four feet tall, hunched over, its feral carnivorous teeth bared. Less a colossus and more like a feral, rabid, largely hairless chimpanzee with pointed elf ears. She stared down at it in bafflement even as she was about to be eaten, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing, yet at the same time wondering what else she could have possibly expected from Theodor.

This was how she was finally going to die.

...Bull_shit_.

* * *

A short amount of searching had led the trio of girls to a large gate. In front of it stood three short rotatable pillars, each with a series of animals etched on each side: snake, whale, owl, dragon.

"So it's like a puzzle then, right?" Sayaka asked, looking over the pillars in question, "Too bad there's no clues or anything" she looked around at the room and sighed.

"...Well..." Madoka said, looking up at the sequence of 'dragon, whale, owl' above the gate.

"It's all good!" Kyoko said, "I know how to solve this".

Sayaka looked at her in surprise, "...You do?"

"Sure!" Kyoko slapped her friend's shoulder before moving over to the right-most pillar. She began to turn it, "Move them all into the dragon position".

Sayaka did as she was told, "You sure this is the right sequence?"

"...Guys..." Madoka tried to warn them, but they weren't listening.

"Pfft, no" Kyoko said as she walked over to the chain at the gate, "But there's only three pillars, right? We can brute-force this bitch" she pulled the chain.

"SHIT!"

The three girls dove out of the way as a volley of poison arrows shot out of the mouths on the wall on the other side of the gate. Sayaka blinked, "Okay, so _that's_ a thing!"

"Just gotta avoid them, I guess" Kyoko said, dusting herself off, "Okay, now turn the last one to the next symbol". Sayaka did as she was told, moving it to the snake position.

"GUYS!" Madoka said, more forcefully in an attempt to keep Kyoko from shooting more poison darts.

The two stopped and looked at her, "What?"

Madoka pointed up at the solution to the puzzle above them. They stared at it for a moment. Sayaka's face bunched up in confusion as she looked back at the pillars and then back at the solution, "But...why would they...what's the point of..."

"Oh, well that takes all the fun out of it" Kyoko muttered with boredom, beginning to shift the pillars to the correct configuration.

Madoka sighed as she walked past them and pulled the chain. The gate opened effortlessly and together the girls entered into the next chamber. It was pretty big; a central pool took up most of the middle with steps rising out of it. Along the walls were many, _many_ alcoves arranged in rows stretching up to the ceiling.

Kyoko stuck her head in one, then instantly regretted that particular life choice and recoiled, "Ohshit dead bodies".

"Wait, what?" Sayaka asked, cautiously looking into another alcove before _quickly_ backing away, "Oh, wow. You weren't kidding" They were mummies; desiccated corpses with the ashen skin still loosely attached to the bone. So, this _was_ a tomb. She shivered a bit.

The three broke up a bit, scouting the room cautiously. There was another gate at the other end, but no obvious way to open it like the last one.

Madoka hovered somewhat behind Sayaka, hesitant and a bit nervous while the other girl let her outstretched hand slide against the rock surface of the wall, "...Sayaka" she said gently.

Sayaka stopped, "...What?" she asked roughly, not turning around as her body tensed up.

Madoka's voice was pleading, "Talk to me. Please?"

Sayaka's hand clenched against the rock. She said nothing for a moment, but then turned slightly, "I'm sorry I said it was your fault. That was wrong of me" she said quietly, with a bit of shame. She'd promised herself she'd never be a problem for Madoka again, and yet here she was falling apart.

Madoka smiled wanly, "No, you...you were right. This _is_ all my fault. I put you in a bad position and I'm sorry for that". All of this because she hadn't been good enough at the role she'd made for herself. She couldn't save Homura, she couldn't save Sayaka. She apparently couldn't save anyone.

"That's not fair to you" Sayaka replied, "Please don't".

After a moment of tense silence, Madoka gently put her hand on Sayaka's shoulder, "Sayaka..."

"...You want her to come back". The words just spilled out.

Madoka knew who she was referring to, "…Of course I do".

"After everything she's done? After everyone she's hurt? Just like that?" Sayaka tried to keep hold of her anger, but some of it still leaked through as her voice rose

Madoka looked down at the ground, "...She's my friend. She sacrificed so much to save us. What else am I supposed to do? I can't just abandon her".

So that was it, then. Just like with Nagisa. Despite everything, Madoka was still willing to just turn a blind eye. Of course she was; she was Madoka, she believed the absolute best in people. How could Sayaka even blame her for that?

Sayaka wanted to scream. She wanted to punch something. She wanted to cry.

There was guilt in Sayaka's words as she knew more than anyone what the Demon meant to Madoka, yet as she couldn't help but say them anyway. "...Aren't I supposed to be your friend too?" she asked, finally looking back at Madoka with hurt in her eyes. The person who was supposed to have her back didn't...and deep down Sayaka wondered if she even had the right to be angry.

That cut Madoka deep, "Of _course_ you're my friend. You both are".

Sayaka said nothing, instead turning her back to Madoka once more.

"She didn't mean to do it, you know that right?" Madoka asked her gently, as if looking for reassurance herself, "She made a mistake. I think she was just...scared and not thinking right. I'm sure she regrets it".

Sayaka still said nothing.

"She cares about all of us, I know she does. I mean, if it wasn't for her none of us would be around right now You know that".

Sayaka had never gotten along with the Demon. In every timeline they'd butted heads and clashed with one another. A lot of it had been Sayaka's fault; she knew that now. If she hadn't been so stupid each and every time, if she hadn't needlessly antagonized the girl in those early loops...Sayaka knew her sins were legion. Being granted the memories once being brought into the Law of Cycles...that had been a humbling experience for her, to say the least.

It was, admittedly, one of the reasons Sayaka had come back. She'd wanted to apologize, get some closure. Make it up to her. Give her a real Magical Girl Experience before salvation. After all, they would probably have worked together a lot going forward.

And then the Demon betrayed them all.

"She _hurt_ me, Madoka" Sayaka finally replied, her voice low and tense, "She...she did things to me. She did it with a smile on her face and she mocked me the whole time. She wasn't scared, she wasn't confused. She _enjoyed_ it. Revenge, I guess". Sayaka shuddered, "Whatever you thought about her before, she's pure evil now" she stared distantly at the ground "She told me herself. You became hope, and she became evil. She told me she was going to destroy everything...and then she did".

Madoka shook her head, "I don't believe that. I _can't_ believe that. There has to be a reason why she did these things". This was bad. Between Sayaka, Mami, and even Kyoko, Madoka could see clear lines being drawn in the sand against Homura, and the idea of them all working together was becoming more and more distant. She had to fix this somehow.

She still didn't understand why Homura had done these awful things. If she could just talk to her, if they could all just sit down…

"I think...I think she was trying to do something nice for us" Madoka continued, "It just...got out of hand".

Madoka had half-expected expected an angry reprisal from Sayaka. Instead the other girl gave her an unreadable expression after an initial flash of anger before she turned away again, "Believe whatever you want" she muttered, disappointment and pain from betrayal lacing her voice.

Somehow, that felt worse to Madoka than the predicted angry reprisal.

"Hey guys, you're not gonna believe what I found!" Kyoko called from halfway across the room in an attempt to shift the gears of conversation towards something less mildly apocalyptic. The two girls looked back at her; she was sitting in front of a large chest and as they walked over to her saw that it was filled to the brim with gems and gold coins. Kyoko's face was lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, "We're rich!"

"Kyoko, what the hell?" Sayaka hissed, "We're not graverobbers!"

"Speak for yourself" Kyoko said with a glance as she started to pocket some of the money, "It's not like any of these dead guys are gonna use it".

Madoka was equally perturbed though, "Uh...maybe it's best if you don't. Remember what the guidebook said about draugr reanimating to protect their tomb".

Kyoko rolled her eyes, "You guys were making lots of noise over there and they didn't do anything. Are you seriously expecting them to get mad just because I touched some gold?"

"Put it back, Kyoko!" Sayaka demanded harshly. She was in no mood for shenanigans right now.

As the two began to argue, Madoka frowned as she heard another ragged, gravely sound, "...Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" the other two asked in unison. They turned around to Madoka, and their sudden looks of shock and dread caused Madoka to do the same.

There in front of them stood a seven foot tall Nord mummy in rusted armor, its eyes afire with an unearthly glow as its rattling, toxic breath wafted down to them.

"...Oh" Madoka uttered blankly, "...Hello".

And that's when the _other_ draugr began to wake up and pull themselves out of their alcoves.

"...RUN!" Sayaka shouted, drawing her swords as she backed away towards the entrance.

"Way ahead of you!" Kyoko agreed, stuffing a few more handfuls of gold coins into her pack before she and Madoka followed.

By the time they reached the entrance however, one of the draugr was already blocking it. The girls stopped, drawing their weapons as the other zombies moved in.

Wow, there were a _lot_ of draugr.

"Yeah, no" Kyoko said flatly, charging the draugr in front of them while the others watched her flanks.

"**FUS RO DAH!"**

Kyoko's spear was torn from her hand by the unseen force. "They can shout?!" she exclaimed in irritation. The draugr lifted up its war axe and prepared to slice Kyoko's head off.

It never got the chance; Kyoko's fist was faster, and the draugr's body dropped to the ground lifeless as its head went flying into the wall.

"Yeah!" Kyoko declared in triumph, "Suck on that you—oh EW EW EW I touched it!" she whined in distress, wiping the dusty once-flesh off her hand.

Sayaka tossed her her spear which she caught as they fled the room, "Why did you touch it?!"

"I lost my weapon!"

"You can _shoot fire!"_

Madoka brought up the rear, shooting a couple of the encroaching draugr down with arrow fire as she exited the room, "Talk about it later! Run!" The trio raced back to where they'd arrived. "This way!" Madoka shouted, leading the group down a different path. They quickly found themselves running through more alcove-ridden rooms, where they could see more draugr waking up as they flew by.

"Oh man, we stirred the hive!" Sayaka said, "Nice going, Kyoko!"

"Me? You're the ones who were making all that noise!"

They entered the next room, a large chamber with waterfalls.

There was no door.

"Shit, dead end!" Kyoko cursed as the group came to a halt.

They could hear the shuffling of footsteps behind them.

Madoka thought quickly, "Kyoko, help me with the door!" she told the redhead. Kyoko nodded and the two girls pushed the large stone door connecting this room to the last shut, "Sayaka, lock it down!"

Sayaka charged up a freeze spell and began to encase the door in ice, "On a scale of one to ten, 'zombie apocalypse' was not high on my expectations today!"

"I told you, this place has _everything!"_ Kyoko said.

"Except for spiders, apparently" Sayaka said, "Or a way out".

"So what _is_ the plan?" Kyoko asked Madoka just before the door made a dull THUD noise as the draugr began to throw themselves at it, "Just wait here until they break down the door?"

"**FUS RO DAH!"**

The door shuttered, the ice Sayaka had used to reinforce it cracking. Sayaka looked back at them in slight panic, "This isn't going to hold them for long!"

Madoka raced through her mind for options. There were too many to take head on. There was no exit. The doors wouldn't hold for more than another minute or so. There had to be some way they could—what was that sound? Madoka looked up, her face going ashen white at the sight.

The others noticed the terror growing on her face. "Madoka?" Sayaka asked, "What's-" both her and Kyoko looked up.

Oh, so as it turns out frostbite spiders weren't the size of Sayaka's fist like she'd thought. Instead it was more of a range of sizes, the smaller ones being roughly dog-sized and the largest…

Well.

A bus-sized spider descended from the ceiling as its smaller brethren crawled down the walls. There were at least a dozen of them—all of them bulbous and hairy and with lots of legs and beady eyes and _disgusting_.

"...Oh my god" Sayaka whispered in horror. Kyoko just stood frozen.

So...that jar they'd brought wasn't going to fit, huh?

"**FUS RO DAH!"**

The door cracked open and the draugr began to force their way in.

Giant spiders on one side, zombies on the other.

Nope. Nope nope NOPE NOPE.

"Oh to hell with this!" Kyoko said with a panicked edge to her voice, summoning flames to her fists. She was one hundred and ten percent Done and she just wanted _out_, "To hell with _all _of this!"

Sayaka glanced down at the floor. The..._glistening _floor with rippling colors.

Wait.

Oh.

Oh _no_.

"Kyoko, NO!"

"KYOKO YES!"

Kyoko summoned up the biggest fireball she could muster and sent it flying at the draugr in the hopes of making an exit. Instead, it also skimmed the ground.

The three girls screamed as their existence turned into a pit of everlasting fire.

* * *

The battle had stopped. The bear creature had simply halted in its tracks, looking down at the scamp in mystified confusion.

Homura wasn't much better.

"Uh..." she uttered, not entirely sure where this left her.

The peace only lasted for a second. The werebear slammed its injured paws down on the scamp, crushing it in a single fluid motion while Homura leaped away to relative safety. She readied herself for its next attack, but before the bear could turn its attention back on her, the shattered remains of the scamp twisted and shifted, splitting apart. Where once there had been one dead scamp now there were two living ones.

The werebear crushed those too.

Then there were four. Then eight. Then sixteen. The monster continued attacking, but the swarm only got bigger and bigger. Homura began to back away, her instincts telling her this wasn't going to be pretty.

It wasn't; once the werebear was worn out from smashing scamps, the horde surrounding it bared their teeth in wide grins...and then struck. The werebear didn't have a chance; it was like those old documentaries Homura had seen in school where a pack of wolves or a school of fish would just overwhelm their opposition. Bits of blood and gore went flying as the bear was quickly skeletonized and wow she should probably leave.

Homura beat a hasty retreat to where she'd seen Maeri disappear off with her mother too. She wasn't doing too well; the bear had inflicted a number of moderate wounds on her, she was out of magic, and she'd sucked away a good portion of her own energy in an effort to replenish her stocks. For her it wasn't so much a 'run' as it was 'stumble away'. Luckily Maeri hadn't gone too far as her mother was simply too big and heavy for the small girl to run away with.

Homura picked Eirfa up and slung her over her shoulders, "RUN!" she told Maeri, pushing the girl forwards, "Don't look back!"

They fled. It wasn't all too long however, before Homura simply couldn't anymore. She collapsed to her knees before laying Eirfa's body against a downed log. Homura was panting, exhausted. She checked Eirfa's pulse.

"Your mother's still alive" she said, relieving Maeri. That said, the woman's injuries were pretty bad—she'd taken a bad fall off the cliff. One leg was twisted and she was bleeding pretty bad from the side of her head. There was no way they were getting back to town like this, not that Homura knew which way town was...and with a possible concussion like that, Homura wasn't sure Eirfa was going to last until they could.

"What about you?" Maeri asked, noting that Homura was barely holding herself together.

"I'm fine" Homura said. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was probably a _really_ bad idea. Homura channeled more of her health into her magicka reserve and nearly collapsed right on the spot. "I'm fine".

She only knew a base healing spell, but she hoped it would be enough as she began to cast it over Eirfa's wounds—the head first as it was the more potentially serious case. Homura struggled to keep herself awake and upright, but somehow managed to power through.

Well, at least until she didn't.

* * *

The girls' return to Solitude had been an Event. Even so early in the morning that it was still dark out, the few people still out couldn't help but watch as three soot-covered and quite cross teenage girls dragged a dead frostbite spider the size of a mammoth through the empty streets.

Captain Lazghal had been quite irate, muttering about how she couldn't wait to get these kids out of her city.

But regardless, the healers had quickly harvested the spider's venom glands and prepared their potion. Madoka and the others meanwhile found Mami sitting next to Nagisa's bed, fast asleep and their hands joined.

"...Well, at least some of us got to sleep tonight" Kyoko muttered with irritation. She yawned and stretched, "I hope nobody had plans for today, because I think I'm just gonna sleep it off".

Madoka gave a short embarrassed laugh, "Ah...actually..."

Kyoko's expression flattened. Oh, _right._ How could she have forgotten? Time to go wander the globe on a grand quest for pinky that didn't help her any but would probably leave her all alone at the end, "Oh, yeah. Guess we gotta go track down the guys who kicked our asses so we can get kicked a second time. God wills it, or whatever" she said flippantly. There was that good ol' 'Pawn' feeling again.

Madoka frowned. Kyoko was always irreverent, but the way she said it sounded a bit more biting than usual. Maybe it was her imagination, "...Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Who, me? Nah, do what you gotta do, god-lady" Kyoko replied, sitting down on Nagisa's other side while the healers administered the cure.

Madoka looked over at Sayaka, giving her a reassuring smile. Sayaka tried to meet it for a brief second but it quickly melted away into something much darker before Sayaka silently turned and walked away, leaving Madoka with the distinct impression that she'd messed something up really bad.

* * *

"_You pushed yourself too hard again"._

_Homura adjusted her glasses as she sat up in her bed. Madoka sat next to her in a chair, a relieved smile on her face._

"_What happened?"_

_"Your heart flared up. Didn't Mami tell you not to try to do too much since you're not a magical girl yet?" Madoka giggled slightly._

"_...I'm sorry" Homura said, downcast._

_Madoka shook her head with a smile, "Don't apologize. You did good work. You saved those people; neither Mami or I would have been able to get to them in time with that witch on the loose"._

_Good work. No one had ever told her she'd done good work or had been proud of her before. Homura blushed, "I-I didn't do anything important"._

_Madoka gripped Homura's hand, "Don't say that about yourself. Those people you saved, it's important to them. _You_ are_ _important". Those words. Homura wanted to believe those words. She truly, desperately wished that she could. But they rang hollow._

_Homura looked at her in despair as the dream began to unravel, "...Then why can't I save you?"_

* * *

Homura blinked, opening her eyes. She was in bed, the same one she'd started out in before the monster attack. The earliest indirect light of pre-dawn drifted down from the windows.

"She's awake!" Maeri exclaimed excitedly, pulling herself up from the floor next to Homura.

"...How are you feeling?" Eirfa asked tiredly. She sat on her own bed, clearly worn out but otherwise fine. Homura on the other hand was covered in bandages.

"I'm f-" Homura winced at a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen as she sat up, "...I've been better".

Eirfa laughed, "You're crazy, you know that?" she had a look of wonder on her face, "...You saved me and my daughter. I don't even know what to say; thank you. By the Nine, you saved the entire village. They all want to thank you, you know that? There was even talk of a feast in your honor and let me tell you, that's not something they throw around lightly around here".

"I..." Homura shifted uncomfortably, "Please don't".

Eirfa gave her a sad but understanding smile, "I figured you'd say that. You're probably going to have to sneak out when no one's looking if you want to avoid them though".

Homura sighed. What a bother.

"...Would it really that bad?" Eirfa asked, "You saved everyone. Can't you enjoy a little praise?" when Homura looked away in shame, Erifa added, "Your uncle must be so proud".

Oh yeah, guess who wasn't here? "...Where is Theodor anyway?" Homura asked.

"He's been outside ever since we brought you back, dealing with the townsfolk and making sure they didn't bother you. Can you believe he slept through the whole thing?"

"Yes, I can" Homura said with light annoyance. She glanced out the window, "I'm not what you think I am. I'm not a hero". She hurt people. She failed them. She abandoned them.

"You literally saved my life, almost at the cost of your own. Maeri told me what you did" Eirfa said, "I'd say that counts as being a hero. If not, then why did you, do you think?"

Homura paused. Why had she? Every part of her told her they were just more background people. Why go out of her way to save strangers? Just because they'd offered her food and shelter? Just because they reminded her of times and people she'd missed? Because Madoka would have wanted her to? Was there something more to it?

She shouldn't be here. This was all a waste of her time. Why hadn't she just left them out there? She was evil, a demon. She was beyond people and didn't care about them. She caused suffering.

"...I don't know" Homura admitted. Her mind was swirling.

"You're over-thinking it" Eirfa said, noting Homura's seeming confusion, "I think you wanted to help us because it was the right thing to do. You didn't do it for a reward and you clearly didn't do it for the attention. I'd say that makes you a good person by definition. I don't know what story you've got stuck in your head, but it's wrong".

Maeri grabbed and hugged Homura's arm. She flashed the older girl a bright, reassuring smile. A ghost of a smile flashed over Homura's face, but it lasted a mere moment before the deepening frown returned. It didn't matter what they said. It didn't matter how many people she saved. She'd never been 'good'; breaking promises and hurting others. She was irredeemable, and the only reason these two thought otherwise was because they didn't have the context for it.

Homura thought of the road ahead of her. Once she caught up to Madoka and the others, she was almost certainly going to have to do more awful things. She was going to have to betray Madoka again and foil her plans—and that would almost certainly doom the universe Madoka loved so much to a final, ignoble death...including Madoka's family and loved ones. Leaving Madoka stranded here was almost certainly the best case she could hope for now while still ensuring that the Law of Cycles wouldn't be reborn. The thought of Madoka's reaction twisted Homura's insides. How horrible. How absolutely disgusting.

Homura was the villain of this story. She knew this. She accepted this.

So why did it hurt so bad?


	13. 1x12: I said I'm fine

**CHAPTER TWELVE: I SAID I'M FINE**

* * *

Nagisa's first thought was that she'd left the TV on before going to bed, since she kept hearing hushed conversations almost out of earshot that were juuuust enough to grab her attention and keep her from drifting back into sweet slumber.

...Did she have school today? No wait that wasn't a thing anymore, was it.

With a groan Nagisa opened her eyes and found herself in an unknown straw bed in an unknown room of stone.

"Hey, you're awake!" Kyoko said with relief, peeling herself away from where she'd been talking to Madoka and Mami and walking over to Nagisa's side and sitting down on the bed, "How you feelin', half-pint?" Mami and Madoka followed, standing at the end of the bed.

"I..."

Oh. Right...she'd been stabbed, hadn't she. Nagisa sat up and felt for the wound but found nothing, "What happened?"

"You were poisoned" Mami said, relieved, "You've been out all night; gave us quite the scare".

Madoka smiled, "Sayaka patched you up and kept you alive long enough to get you to a healer. It was pretty close-run".

"...Sayaka did?" Nagisa asked, unconvinced. Didn't Sayaka hate her guts? She looked around; the girl in question was sitting in the far corner, leaning against the wall. She glanced over when she heard her name, initially surprised at the sudden attention and not sure what to make of it, but quickly shifted back to what had become her characteristic bitter scowl and looked away, not wanting to have to deal with any of this. Nagisa flinched; yep, she was still angry.

"Just...give her time" Madoka told Nagisa quietly, "She just needs more time". Madoka wasn't sure she believed that herself though, and it showed.

With a sigh Nagisa flopped back down on the bed, still exhausted and feeling the drowsiness starting to overtake her again.

"Oh good, she's awake" said a deep woman's voice, aborting Nagisa's would-be nap. She sat back up and saw a female Orc guard captain standing at the door, "If that's all then, I suggest it's high time you leave the city".

Everyone except Madoka turned in shock at the sudden implication, "Wait, what?" "Huh?" "You're kicking us out?"

Madoka chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her head, realizing that in all the chaos she'd forgotten something important, "...Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you guys, didn't I?"

* * *

The gates of the city of Solitude slammed shut behind the quintet, almost passive-aggressively so.

"Huh. Bein' banned from a whole city's a new one. Usually it's just convenience stores and arcades" Kyoko mused, staring back at the city wall, her spear tucked behind her neck as she balanced her arms over it, "...Oh, and I guess that one water park".

Sayaka's eyebrow arched, "...Do I even wanna know?" Kyoko had a naughty grin on her face but said nothing. Sayaka shrugged, "Eh, better than jail, I guess" she said, returning Kyoko's with an extremely weary half-smile of her own. Kyoko slung her arm around Sayaka's shoulders, glad that the other girl's bad mood had lightened at least a bit; it had been a _very_ long night. The tension that had built up between them last night cautiously ebbed out of Sayaka's body and she leaned in, relaxing just a bit.

"Ain't that the truth" Kyoko said.

"I suppose we did become sort of reliant on civilians not being aware of what we were doing" Mami frowned. Nagisa rested on her back, fast asleep and softly snoring. She'd fallen back to sleep before they'd even left the city; the poison had been taxing enough on her body that she wasn't in any real condition to travel right now. Too bad they didn't have much of a choice.

Though really, none of the group were particularly fit to travel right now; Kyoko, Madoka, and Sayaka had all spent a full night fighting their way through a Nord crypt without sleep and all three looked a little worse for wear, and even Mami had only managed a short fitful sleep, but unfortunately Captain Lazghal had been quite insistent they leave as soon as possible.

Sayaka yawned, "Where are we going, anyway?"

Madoka's eyes unfocused a bit as she looked out towards the mountains to the south, "...Southwest of here, along the main road" she said as she returned. She shrugged helplessly, "Beyond that I'm not sure".

"Seriously?" Kyoko grunted in annoyance. She sighed, "I can barely keep my eyes open and we don't even know where we're going?"

Honestly, Madoka felt the same and as she looked at everyone else, there seemed to be a consensus. Deciding that she in fact did _not_ want to walk all day in their present state, Madoka began to look around for other options. A smile crossed her face when she saw an opportunity.

Just outside the city walls where they found themselves stood a large collection of stables all around. The area was busy; couriers were mounting and dismounting their rides, visitors were checking their steeds in...but what caught Madoka's eye was a horse-drawn cart.

"Excuse me" she said in a friendly, humble tone, walking over to the Argonian driver, currently sitting idly in his seat while a pair of workers finished emptying out the back of his cart which had been full of liquor supplies for one of the local taverns. He looked at her expectantly, "Sorry. My name is Madoka Kaname. My friends and I are looking for a way south. You wouldn't happen to know someone who could take us, would you?"

The Argonian looked at her and the others with mild curiosity, "If you're asking if you want a ride, all you had to do was say so. I'm just offloading my cargo and then I'm headed back to Dragon Bridge".

"How much for passage?" Madoka asked.

The Argonian shrugged, "Five for each of you. I can take you to Dragon Bridge, beyond that you're on your own".

"That's fair" Madoka said with a smile, handing the lizard his gold. He motioned for them to load themselves into the back of his cart with a nod.

"Name's Walks-In-Snow" the Argonian said.

Kyoko sighed with relief, "Awesome, I can sleep finally".

Mami watched this, as Madoka easily took charge with earnest friendly charisma. Even having been around Madoka since they'd landed here, it still always caught her off guard whenever Madoka took the reigns...which she was doing more and more frequently as of late. When it had been just the two of them they'd worked surprisingly well as a duo, even if Mami had had to get used to Madoka being essentially an equal instead of an underclassmen, but now that they'd reassembled a team Mami slowly found herself...redundant, she supposed? Madoka had spoken for the group at Winterhold, she'd led the group here, and now she was leading them south.

And it wasn't entirely hard to see why; none of the girls were really in need of a mentor anymore, and due to her position Sayaka was probably more likely to heed Madoka's words than Mami's these days (even if she still respected Mami greatly) while Kyoko was more likely to go wherever Sayaka went. Even Nagisa seemed to be slowly drifting away from Mami; these days whenever Kyoko wasn't with Sayaka, the redhead and Nagisa would be stapled together, and Mami couldn't help but feel tension between herself and her would-have-been charge even as she carried her on her shoulders.

And so as the girls began to board the cart Mami couldn't help but feel a bit out of sorts.

And then there was this whole situation. At some point Mami's life had stopped being about being a middle school student and fighting wraiths and had instead become this epic trans-dimensional struggle between gods and demons and Mami still didn't really have a handle on all of it. Fighting Homura because she'd turned evil? Fine. Comforting Madoka after arriving here? Also fine.

Embarking on a cross-continental quest with a literal god to recover the scattered fragments of her fallen world on an alien planet? Well, that made her feel a bit more unsteady and uncertain of what she was doing. Her entire world, everything she'd ever relied on, had been ripped away from her and it was only now that she wasn't immediately focused on the day-to-day struggles of staying alive that she was really starting to consider that.

"Hey, Mami, you coming?" Kyoko called to her, breaking her from her thoughts.

Mami forced a smile as she caught up to the others, "Yes, sorry. My mind was elsewhere". With Kyoko and Madoka's help she hoisted the still-slumbering Nagisa up onto the back of the cart before lifting herself in as well, and soon enough the cart was on its way.

"We should make it back to Dragon Bridge by sundown. You kids get feel free to get some rest; you look like you need it. Up all night?"

"Something like that" Sayaka said as she made herself comfortable in what was honestly a very uncomfortable wooden cart. Soon enough she felt Kyoko obnoxiously drop her entire body weight on her, giving Sayaka a shit-eating grin as she did so.

"Kyoko, what—what are you-"

"What?" Kyoko asked with false innocence as she pressed harder, "What's wrong, Sayaka?"

Sayaka couldn't help but elicit a genuine giggle as she was pushed to the floor, "Kyoko stop it!"

"Stop what? I'm not doin' nothin'" Kyoko said before the two finally toppled over onto one another, both giggling tiredly as Sayaka let the tension from the night before ebb out of her. The two got comfortable and within a few moments both girls were fast asleep.

Madoka watched their antics with amusement until her equally exhausted mind wandered. Walks-In-Snow had by now sped up his cart with a spell, and the slow crawl had become something more akin to a slow and gentle car ride. Lush pine trees and isolated cliff sides shifted past them as the cart made its way south. From her vantage point she could see the mouth of the Karth river spread out below them, shimmering in the morning sunlight of what was looking to be a cool fall day. To the north the mighty arch of Solitude slowly got smaller in the distance.

Sayaka had barely said a word to her since leaving the Nordic crypt but not in an overtly hostile way, which meant she was _definitely _mad at her but was trying her best not to be. Madoka shifted uncomfortably at the thought. She'd messed up. But what else was she supposed to say? She couldn't lie and tell Sayaka that she _didn't_ want Homura back with them and safe.

There was zero chance of Sayaka turning into a Witch, but the girl's gradual spiraling since being rescued was far too uncomfortably familiar to Madoka.

"Not going to sleep?" Mami asked her.

"Ah..." Madoka frowned, "I suppose I've just got a lot on my mind. I..." she looked at Sayaka, "...I think I messed up".

Mami very quickly picked up what Madoka was getting at; she _had_ noticed some tension after they'd returned from the tomb, but Mami had written it off as a lack of sleep from all involved—after all, Kyoko had been equally terse.

Then _again_, Mami had noticed tension rising from all corners as of late. The brief honeymoon period after they'd all reunited was long gone and now part of Mami found herself worrying about the seeming house of cards building itself around her.

"What happened?" she asked.

Madoka sighed; she knew where this conversation was going to go, "…We talked about Homura".

Mami frowned as she suddenly understood exactly what had happened, "Madoka..." she said, her voice a mixture of disapproval yet sympathy.

"I can't abandon her" Madoka countered, intentionally trying to skip what they'd covered during their last argument way back when they left Frost Creek, "I know she's done some awful things, but she's out there alone, and afraid just like we were, and probably hurt-"

"It's not that simple" Mami said.

"Yes it is!" Madoka pleaded, "We should at least make sure she's okay, and we need to hear her out!" she leaned towards Mami emphatically, "You were her friend, surely that accounts for _something_".

"You misunderstand. I only knew Homura for a few months, and during that time she largely kept to herself" Mami said, a hint of annoyance in her voice as Madoka assumed things about her. Honestly, this whole thing with Homura was getting a tad ridiculous as a whole. She respected Madoka, she really did, not least of all because she had been the Law of Cycles but also because she was just a wonderful kindhearted person, but if it were any other person she were speaking to they would have written Homura off as a lost cause by now and this wouldn't be a problem. What had happened to Homura was tragic, it was, but at this point she was a bigger problem than she was worth.

Mami continued, keeping her voice a quiet whisper so only Madoka could hear her, "She was a good ally, a dependable fighter, but she was...aloof, I suppose. Never hostile, but she never let herself get close. She held herself at arms distance the entire time despite my overtures". Honestly, Mami had a hard time pinning down exactly what she would have considered Homura. She'd invited the girl into her home a few times, and both of them had gotten along well enough, but there had always been an odd divide. Mami supposed now she knew why. Rather, it had been Kyoko of all people who had managed to forge a somewhat deeper bond with Homura, though Mami doubted Homura had ever allowed her to get too close either.

Certainly, she'd technically known Sayaka for even less time, but at least there Sayaka had very quickly and enthusiastically found a place within Mami's life-one that had left a void after her death.

Mami frowned, "...And that was _before_ she rewrote reality and brainwashed us. I don't know what we were like in your original world; we might have been friends and you two might have been my students just like you were in her Labyrinth, but that doesn't matter now. What matters now is that she is a dangerous unknown who has a history of violence. I understand that she is important to you and that you want to save her, and I sympathize, but you already gave her a chance and instead she decided to conquer the universe by betraying you and your wish" she frowned and added "...I don't much like being used". And that's what it was; being used. Homura had turned her into a pawn—a pawn with an arguably better life where she didn't have to risk her life daily, but a pawn nonetheless, without her knowledge or consent, and all for someone else's sake. It bothered her, and she understood where Sayaka had been coming from.

Madoka opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her. She'd overstepped her bounds; this _wasn't _'her' Mami, just as that wasn't 'her' Kyoko. Things might have been different had they been taken into the Law of Cycles (except they had been retroactively according to Valtir? Madoka needed to think about that sometime...especially considering that truth be told, she _did _remember saving them at some 'future' point that now had never happened, which made her head hurt), but as it stood the only one linking Madoka to the rest of the group right now, Nagisa notwithstanding who had kept an awkward distance from Madoka, was Sayaka—and she wasn't going to budge an inch on Homura anyway. Madoka felt a bit more isolated.

Did she have the right to drag these girls across Tamriel? Maybe she should have done this by herself.

"...So you won't even try at all" Madoka surmised, her voice small and forlorn as she looked down, "Even if she regrets it?"

Mami closed her eyes and sighed regretfully, knowing she was sounding like the bad guy here, "If she is properly repentant...I don't know. I can't promise anything. Homura's actions need to be addressed. I...realize I may have overstepped my place by telling you I wouldn't let Homura near you. That's not for me to decide. I apologize for that" she nodded at Sayaka and Kyoko, "But those two were my students, and even though I may have failed them before as a mentor, I will still do everything I can to protect them" her gaze shifted to Madoka and hardened slightly, "Neither of them want anything to do with Homura, and I won't let her hurt them. Are we clear?"

Madoka tensed a bit at being on the receiving end of Mami's velvet steel. She nodded, "I understand". Madoka would do everything in her power to ensure that never happened. There was a way to fix this, and she was going to find it.

Mami realized she was being harsh and instead softened, giving Madoka a sad smile, "For what it's worth, I do wish we all could have been friends. How she was in her Labyrinth, I think I would have liked to have known that Homura, and I'm very glad I've been given the chance to know you more" her smile faded somewhat "But there are many things in my life that I wish had gone differently, and it does no good to focus on that instead of what's in front of me".

Madoka said nothing. She was clearly listening, but also ruminating.

"...If I could ask something of you at least?" Mami ventured. Madoka looked at her, "Don't bring Homura up around Sayaka. Please. There's..." she glanced worriedly at the sleeping forms of the other girls, "...There's a lot of tension in this group, Sayaka in particular, and the last thing she needs right now is to be reminded of what happened".

Madoka was perplexed, "But Sayaka's the one who..." realization set in as to what Mami was referring to, "…Oh, I'm really dumb". She was still so used to being _everywhere_ that now that she wasn't, she kept missing things. Dumb things too, like this.

Godhood might have been lonely, but mortality was _frustrating._

"...You're worried about your friend" Mami said, empathizing with her. "But remember you have a friend here you also need to take care of". Sayaka mumbled something in her sleep, her face bunched up in frustration.

Madoka's brow furrowed at the sight; they'd all had the occasional nightmare since coming here, and considering well, everything that had happened Madoka couldn't blame Sayaka for having the lion's share but...well...part of her wondered if Sayaka's constant night terrors weren't just a _tad_ excessive, especially since hers hadn't decreased in frequency or let up in the slightest since being saved.

As if they didn't have enough to worry about.

"You're right" she said with a sigh, "I've been a bad friend". Sayaka was hurting. Homura was hurting. Mami, Kyoko, Nagisa...the shard containing the souls of everyone from her hometown, the entirety of her universe…there just wasn't enough of her to go around.

"...What was I like in your universe? If you don't mind me asking" Mami asked quietly after a moment, changing the conversation. The topic had come up before, but never directly.

Madoka thought for a moment, "...You were just like you are now" she said with a nostalgic smile, "Brave, loyal, kind. A good mentor. You taught me everything I know about being a magical girl" she looked at Sayaka and Kyoko and saddened, "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened; you did your best".

Mami blushed slightly under the praise, then glanced at Sayaka and Kyoko, "...My best doesn't really matter much if it's not good enough, does it?"

"I think it does" Madoka replied, "Everyone's best matters. It's just that sometimes...sometimes bad things happen anyway. But that doesn't mean the attempt wasn't worth it".

Mami gave her a curious look, "...Thank you". She leaned back in thought; the idea of Madoka being one of her underclassmen...it felt right, like it was a natural fit. Sure, she'd had a taste of it in the Labyrinth, but even beyond that the two had settled into a firm companionship when they'd first arrived here, even if the dynamic was different and Madoka was more an equal or even a superior. Knowing Madoka Kaname felt _right._

_I'm not afraid of anything anymore._

Mami blinked. Where had _that_ come from? The words felt weirdly familiar, but she couldn't place it. It was almost like…a dream she'd had once, maybe? One she'd forgotten shortly after waking. Shame she couldn't remember the context. It hovered at the edge of her consciousness, only to vanish when she reached for it.

The two settled into a somewhat comfortable silence after that, at least until Walks-in-Snow caught the girls idly watching the forest roll by.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the Argonian said, "Most of my kin swear by Black Marsh, but I find there's no place quite like Skyrim".

"Have you lived here long?" Madoka asked.

"Most of my life" Walks said happily, "I've been back home to Black Marsh on occasion for tribe matters, but beyond that there is no place I'd rather be than here. My clutchmates all think I'm mad, but there's little more I want out of life than what I'm doing now; ferrying supplies and people and getting to see these mountains in person".

"What's Black Marsh like?" Mami asked. For not the first time she realized she hadn't really given the other regions of Tamriel much attention. She'd skimmed parts of the guidebook Valtir had given them, and Nagisa and Kyoko had both given her what she suspected were fairly biased accounts of Morrowind, but she'd been understandably mostly focused on the place they currently found themselves in.

Walks let out a chuckle, "About as different as you can get from Skyrim. It's hot, muggy swampland that will swallow you up if you're not careful. It's beautiful in its own ways though; deep mangrove forests, glowing fungal groves, sunken ruins..." he changed the subject, "What about you? What brought you to Skyrim? It's not often I see Akaviri, much less children wandering about Skyrim, and I can tell you're not local".

"It's...complicated" Madoka said. She was kind of getting tired of that excuse; it made her sound shady and combative. But what else was she supposed to say that wouldn't make her immediately sound crazy or dangerous?

She really needed to figure out an alibi. If only she wasn't absolutely horrid at lying.

"It's family business, mostly" Mami added, seemingly on the same wavelength as Madoka. Notably, she wasn't lying exactly.

Walks got the drift, "Ah, personal. Apologies, I should have gathered by your hushed conversation earlier. I won't pry".

The conversation trailed off; after a few minutes Mami pulled out the guidebook and began to read from the Black Marsh section, while Madoka resumed watching the scenery as she mulled over things. She found she couldn't hold the others' opinions of Homura against them—far from it. Sayaka was right to be angry at her, Mami was right to warn her away. But what else could she do? The thought of giving up on Homura twisted her gut—but the thought of giving up on the others was just as horrible. She couldn't choose.

* * *

Despite her condition, Homura had insisted on disembarking from the town as soon as possible. She'd still had to wait a few hours despite herself though; at least until most of the villagers came to realize she _wasn't_ going to come out anytime soon and they had instead turned to rebuilding, caring for the wounded, and burying their dead.

Eight dead, twelve wounded. Quite the toll, considering that the village's population was less than two hundred.

Hence, for the last few hours she'd been slowly healing herself as best she could with the sole basic healing spell she had on hand. She was better than she'd been, but was clearly still quite injured and simply flat-out exhausted. The sleeping and preoccupied village made it easier for Homura and Theodor to sneak out to the dock—with the help of an invisibility spell, of course. Eirfa and Maeri came out with them to see them off.

"I'd offer you to stay longer if I'd thought you'd accept" Eirfa said sadly, "I still don't think you're quite up to travel".

Homura resisted a pained grunt as she shifted her weight, grabbing the boat for a bit of support, "I'll be fine. I've had worse". She shivered a bit at the cold morning air; it was overcast and dreary and threatened to snow at any time.

Eirfa gave her a disapproving look, "That...doesn't make me feel much better. Here" she relented and handed Theodor a container of food "leftovers from last night. For the trip. And this" she handed over an old fur cloak to Homura, "That leather armor can't be warm enough for this time of year".

"I..." Homura froze as she was given the cloak, "I can't-"

"Yes, you can" Eirfa pressed it against her, "It was one of my husband's and I have plenty more I need to get rid of. Besides" she gave Homura a look a pure relief, "You saved his family. He would have wanted you to have it".

Her husband? No, no, no. She couldn't take this. She couldn't...this wasn't right. She didn't want this. She didn't deserve this.

Homura needed to be _elsewhere._ _Anywhere_ but here. _She had to get out._

"I can't take your husband's things" she said suddenly, her voice edged with panic and all but throwing the cloak back at the woman "I'm sorry". She turned to pull herself into the boat when a pair of soft hands gripped her wrist. Homura paused, looking down at Maeri who looked back up at her in worry. Eirfa gently handed pushed the cloak back, "But..he was your husband. I can't...I don't deserve..."

"Ah, of course you deserve it!" Theodor said with a grin, slapping her back a bit more firmly than she'd expected, "If I may quote my dear friend Sam, 'deserving' is just a lie we tell ourselves to keep from enjoying life! I think" he paused, "I dunno, we might have been pretty drunk at the time" he looked at Eirfa as he grabbed and forced the cloak into Homura's face. She tipped over with a bit of a shriek and landed head-first in the boat, "Ah, always so timid. She gets it from her mother".

She supposed Theodor's guesswork wasn't exactly wrong_._ From what little she could remember from so early in her life, her mother _had_ been timid, and just as spineless. She and her father fretted, wrung their hands, but at the end of the day still left her with the nuns.

'_It's for the best'._

No wonder she was so worthless.

Homura got back up, only to be tackled in a hug by Maeri. She froze, at first in shock and then unsure of what to do next, so_ very_ far out of her element right now and then—oh, yep, Eirfa was giving her a hug now too, though more gentle and less squeezing than her kid's.

Homura did not quite know how to process this.

"If you ever come back this way, our door is always open, okay?" Eirfa said as she let go.

"...I understand, thank you" Homura replied as neutrally as possible, hoping not to wrap this up as soon as possible. She finally acquiesced to Maeri's hug who was still gripped around her.

"Next time, I'm gonna show you all the cool places around here" Maeri said, finally pulling away, "Like the springs! And the cave! And the old chapel!"

Eirfa frowned, "The chapel? Maeri, what have I told you about going there? It's old and ruined, you'll get hurt".

Maeri pouted, but Homura gently added "Remember what I told you, about staying home where it's safe. You shouldn't risk leaving your mother behind". Maeri gave Homura a look, but reluctantly nodded.

"Nothing wrong with a little adventure. It's what keeps life interesting" Theodor said seemingly to himself as he casually untied the boat from the dock, "I mean what would life be like if you didn't wake up one morning and find a dead raccoon in your underwear drawer? Boring, that's what!"

Eirfa and Maeri both laughed a bit, though the former was somewhat awkward and unsure, "Your uncle certainly has an...interesting sense of humor".

"...I suppose that's one way to describe it" Homura said flatly.

Eirfa eyed the town then turned back to Homura, "I suppose you should probably get going, unless you want to get caught by the rest of the village".

Homura nodded numbly. She glanced down at the cloak in her hands, her face flushed with embarrassment, "...Thank you" she mumbled at Eirfa.

"Be safe" Eirfa replied with a smile, before drawing the girl into a second sudden hug, surprising Homura. Maeri soon joined in again too, "And feel free to stop by any time" she let go and turned to Theodor, "You too; it's been a pleasure having both of you".

Theodor shot her a wide grin and a fake salute as he got the boat ready to leave, "The pleasure has been all ours! Now, onwards! To adventure! Or whatever!" the boat began to leave the dock, pushed by the morning winds.

"Good luck with your hunting trip!" Eirfa called as she and Maeri waved. Homura returned a diplomatic wave of her own then shivered as the cold breeze pierced her armor. Taking another hesitant look at the cloak in her hands, she then finally flung it over herself and gripped it tight with a faint smile.

"Aw" Theodor cooed once they were out of sight of the village, "You _did_ make some friends!"

"Shut up and steer" Homura grumbled, "...And where the hell _were_ you last night when I needed you?"

Theodor shrugged, "Sleeping. You could have woken me up".

"Everyone else woke up but you" Homura replied, unconvinced.

"I'm a deep sleeper!" Theodor said in defense, "But it all worked out, didn't it? You showed that werebear what-for".

"No thanks to you" Homura said with irritation. Theodor didn't reply, but soon Homura's attention was drawn to a very familiar scamp standing along the seashore as they passed by. Uh oh. "...Actually, about that summoning scroll I used..."

"Ah" Theodor grinned as he too saw the scamp...and then a second one as it emerged from the snowy forest behind the shoreline. And then a third, "...Ah, it's fine. They're not going to eat the village. Probably".

"...Probably?" Homura repeated with distress as she suddenly considered that she might have just doomed everyone. Part of her wondered why she cared so much and told her to knock it off. A louder, arguably more primal part promptly ignored that advice and began to panic.

Theodor waved off her concerns, "Don't worry. They've already eaten. They'll probably just steal everyone's socks before fading back to Oblivion".

Homura sighed with relief, then paused as Theodor's words caught up with her, "...Wait, why their socks?"

"Why not? I mean, unless you _want_ them to eat everyone. I think that be a little too pedestrian though".

"What? No" Homura panicked, flustered, "I just...why would they...never mind" she rubbed her eyes, "You promise they won't be eaten?"

"Aw, you _do_ care. So much for the unfeeling monster!"

"Shut up and answer the question".

"_I_ can't promise anything" Theodor said, "I'm not the one stealing socks. But they should be fine, yes. Relatively speaking, anyway. I'm sure something will kill them someday, they're mortal after all...and they could probably do with some therapy" he paused, looking directly at Homura, "You could probably do with some too. Ooh, I know!" he sat down on the floor, "Lie back and tell Uncle Theo about all your problems!"

Homura's gaze flattened, having had quite enough of people and of Theodor in particular, "No. I'm going to sleep, don't disturb me". She yawned, realizing just how exhausted she was and how much everything ached and so found herself a nice spot on the far corner of the boat, curling up in her new cloak.

"Fine, fine" Theodor said, then grinned, "I guess we can all just bottle it up until we explode. That sounds fun too!"

Homura's response was to silently turn away from him, rolling to her other side so she faced the wall of the boat. Theodor didn't respond. Homura clenched the fur more tightly, wrapping it around herself like a heavy blanket. Someone, a near stranger, just another member of the faceless masses, had given her this. Someone thought of her enough to give her something they'd treasured so much. Someone had thought so highly of her...and they'd been so utterly wrong.

Finally alone (or close to it) and not dealing with a million different things, Homura's violently conflicting emotions finally caught up with her. As much as she tried to repress them they still bubbled up; a volatile mixture of relief, joy, pain, sorrow, and self-hate that threatened to spill out, tears forming at the edges of her eyes, before she finally slipped off into exhaustion-fueled sleep.

* * *

True to Walks-in-Snow's word, the group arrived in Dragon Bridge around nightfall. Despite getting some sleep on the road, most of the girls were still dead-tired and had no problem falling asleep in the town's inn upon arrival.

Well...all except Nagisa, who had finally woken up late afternoon and was _wired. _She was really annoyed to have found she'd missed everything and now the city she'd hoped to explore a bit more was now behind them, probably forever.

Alas.

Regardless, it was the crack of dawn when Madoka and Mami woke up the other girls and they quickly found themselves back on the road—though not before taking a few moments to admire the bridge the town was named after; a great ancient stone structure with dragon carvings holding itself over the canyon housing the Karth river beneath—itself far narrower than it had been at its delta around Solitude, but still a mighty torrent as a series of waterfalls cascaded down from the Reach in the south.

_Thankfully_ as far as Madoka could determine at least, the thieves hadn't made a break for the Reach like they'd all feared, instead heading southeast vaguely towards the plains of Whiterun and sticking towards the main roads.

And so the group left Dragon Bridge; as pretty as it was they were on a chase, and there was no one in Dragon Bridge willing to take them who-knew-where and so they were walking.

Thank goodness for Nagisa's longstride spell, which was definitely allowing them to keep pace with the thieves...at least, Madoka assumed they were, as the pull she felt towards the shard wasn't getting any dimmer. Still, it was a few more days before they began to catch up to the shard—just as they neared a town called Rorikstead, about a day after crossing the border into the Kingdom of Whiterun.

It was larger than the other countless no-name villages that had dotted the increasingly bare landscape as the dense pine forests had gradually given way to open steppe, with the settlement easily on par with Dragon Bridge or Winterhold in size.

The journey itself had been...fine, all things considered. Despite the ever-looming stress of their objective slipping out of their grasp and the tension in the air between the girls, the group had done their best to keep things light. Kyoko and Sayaka had been utterly inseparable, Madoka had been trying to keep everyone optimistic, and Mami had been doing her best to mend the rift between her and Nagisa...to mixed results. Mami was doting on her and Nagisa clearly appreciated it but Mami couldn't help but feel like Nagisa felt uncomfortable around Mami...which was frustrating because Mami couldn't figure it out.

The general atmosphere was still tense though; Nagisa in particular was adrift. Aside from Mami, Sayaka still wasn't giving her the time of day, she was uncomfortable around Madoka for...well, for obvious reasons, and even her newfound friendship with Kyoko seemed to be unraveling—Mami could see the resentment building in the younger girl at Kyoko's friendship with Sayaka. Nagisa was spiraling off, becoming sullen and more withdrawn day by day, and Mami didn't know what to do.

And on that note...despite Madoka making a conscious effort to not mention Homura's name out-loud, the relationship between her and Sayaka had been...well, 'frosty' was probably an overstatement as they were still on speaking terms, but she was constantly watching the two walk on eggshells where they would haphazardly try to avoid any attempt at an Honest Conversation in fear of hurting the other.

Kyoko was also oddly tense around Madoka. Mami had brought it up once, but Kyoko had just shut that conversation down instantly; there was no problem here as far as she was concerned. But as the days rolled by, Mami could see her becoming more agitated about the mission, and irritated each time Madoka pushed them onwards.

Resentful, almost.

And then there was Madoka herself. Each day found her just a little more driven, just a little more hyper-focused on the objective. Mami supposed she couldn't blame her, considering, but Madoka wasn't taking care of herself, she was pushing herself a little bit harder each day. She wasn't eating enough, and she certainly wasn't sleeping enough.

Mami could definitely feel the walls closing in around her; something was going to break sooner or later. More than once she considered just telling Sayaka about Kyoko herself, but that would have been a grave breach of trust on the part of Kyoko—not to mention Mami still didn't have a good solution to keep everything from imploding the second anyone _did_ spill the beans. There was just no way to placate Sayaka—not that Mami would have blamed her...and yet the longer this went on, the worse Mami knew the fallout would be.

Mami dreaded what would happen when the dam finally did burst, and she felt so powerless to prevent it. She didn't want to be alone. Not here. Not again. The thought terrified her to her core.

They arrived in Rorikstead late. The weather by now was beginning to turn, and even as they had headed south away from the colder northern areas of Skyrim, the air had turned crisp once more. After several days of sleeping under the open stars, it was a fairly unanimous decision that they would rent a room at the local inn for the night. It was basic as far as inns went; a central fire pit rounded by tables that lined the walls of the long wooden hall.

"It's here" Madoka whispered as she, Sayaka, and Mami sat at a table in the corner of the inn's main eating area, "Just east of here. It's not far". Kyoko was...somewhere, while Nagisa had elected to sit outside and 'people watch'. Mami had frowned at that, but allowed her.

"You're sure?" Sayaka asked. Madoka nodded.

Mami pulled out a map of the town she'd gotten from the innkeeper and laid it over the table, "How far exactly?"

Madoka shook her head, "I...I'm not sure. Sorry, it's more of a gut feeling than some kind of radar. I just know it's close".

Sayaka looked over the map as Kyoko walked back over with a plate full of seasoned boar meat she'd taken from the roast spit above the fireplace, "How we doin'?"

"...Didn't you already eat?" Sayaka asked in disbelief.

"Well yeah, but I'm a growing girl" Kyoko said nonchalantly. Sayaka snorted in response.

Mami looked at her crossly, "What have I told you about our budget? Please don't make me cut you off".

"Relax, _mom_" Kyoko eye-rolled before sitting down next to Sayaka, "They said it was on the house. Apparently it's a pest that kept messing up the fields, or something".

Sayaka took a piece of boar for herself, "Leave it to you to find all the free stuff" she said dryly.

"Is that a complaint?" Kyoko asked.

Sayaka laughed, "Hardly". Kyoko then waved the plate in Mami's direction with a knowing grin, to which she acquiesced with a sigh and took a piece herself. "So" Sayaka swallowed her food as she looked over the map, "It looks like there's some ruins to the east just outside of town. Think that's where they're hiding?"

"It's as good a guess as any, I suppose" Mami said, "There doesn't seem to be too many other places out in the plains. We should do some scouting".

"The bad guys have a secret lair. Of course they do" Kyoko said, leaning back in her seat and putting her feet on the table, "Why not".

"...Ironhill Ruins" Sayaka muttered, reading the name off.

"That's a dangerous place for a bunch of kids".

The group looked up and behind them to where the voice came from. There stood a tall and rather impressive Nord man with long blonde hair, a thick beard, and fairly ornate armor; pale plate with carved etchings overlaid on top of a layer of full-body fur clothing, with a detailed wolf's head on the top of the chest plate.

"...Oh, er, really?" Madoka said, trying to act as neutral as possible at the sudden unexpected interruption.

"And who the hell are you?" Kyoko asked, sitting back up.

"Ah, where are my manners?" the man asked, his demeanor shifting into something far more upbeat, "Name's Kjal. I'm with the Companions" he offered his hand triumphantly.

"The who?"

Kjal's triumph instantly crumbled, "...The Companions?" he reiterated to a bunch of blank stares, "Champions of Skyrim? Heirs to Ysgramor's Five Hundred?" still a bunch of blank stares, "Er..." he began to wilt a bit.

"The name sounds kind of familiar, maybe" Sayaka said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Ah, it's nice to meet you, Mr Kjal" Mami said diplomatically, finally meeting his hand with her own in an attempt to assuage the man's ego, "I'm Mami, and these are my friends, Madoka, Sayaka, and Kyoko. Nagisa's out on the porch".

"Good to meet you", Kjal regarded them with concern, "...So what are a bunch of kids like yourselves doing out so late? And...with such heavy gear? Where are your parents?"

"...Uh..." the question caught the girls off-guard and they began to sweat, frantically looking to each other for a quick answer.

Thankfully Mami had one, "We got separated, I'm afraid. Our ship got into a bad wreck near uh..." she scrambled for a name, "Solitude. We're hoping to catch up with them in Whiterun".

The man became more sympathetic "Solitude to Whiterun? That's a pretty far distance. No matter; Hoggvir and I are headed back to Whiterun ourselves once our job here is done. We'd be more than glad to escort you there".

Kyoko glared, "We don't need babysitters".

Kjal sighed in a way that clearly implied 'teenagers', "Of course not. I just thought you might appreciate some added protection and perhaps some good company; the roads are dangerous these days, especially this close to the Reach. What would your parents think if some of you didn't make it back?"

"...Probably sigh and tell me how disappointed they are..." Sayaka muttered under her breath in dark humor before grabbing another piece of boar meat.

Mami cleared her throat, telling Kyoko and Sayaka that they needed to be quiet. Madoka interjected, steering the conversation away from possible potholes.

"We wouldn't want you to go out of your way just for us" Madoka said, "We'll be fine".

"Nonsense!" Kjal thundered, "We're both going the same way, aren't we? There's strength in numbers".

"Ah...well…" Madoka's smile faltered a bit as she found herself boxed in, "I suppose we'd be glad for the company then, thank you". Honestly they weren't even sure they were going to Whiterun after this; they just knew they were heading back to Winterhold and hadn't really thought that far ahead. But the quicker this conversation ended, the better before Kjal began questioning their story.

"What in Shor's name is going on over here?" another Nord man with short brown hair and the same armor as Kjal said as he stepped over to the group, "Kjal, what's with the half-pints?"

"Ah!" Kjal grinned, "Hoggvir! There you are. Found some wayward kids looking for their parents. They'll be coming with us back to Whiterun".

"Oh good, there's more of them" Kyoko said with quiet sarcasm.

"Kids?" Hoggvir snorted, "Kjal, we're not babysitters!"

"I thought you said you wanted kids!" said Kjal with a smirk.

Hoggvir rolled his eyes with good nature and gently punched his companion, "That's what orphanages are for, idiot. You don't just pick up strays. Besides, I wanted a kid, not a gang of teens" his expression faded slightly as he looked over the well-armed children in front of him. The kids for their part were staring back blankly.

"...What?" asked Kjal, then realized, "Oh, sorry. Hoggvir and I are both Companions and...well, companions" they both laughed, "...Ah, guild humor".

Kyoko leaned over at Sayaka and whispered, "...I don't get it".

"They're married" Sayaka replied.

Kyoko's jaw dropped in surprise, "...Oh" a beat, "...Man, Hitomi would be losing her _shit_ right now".

"That's not what her manga collection would say" Sayaka replied with a knowing grin.

Kyoko frowned in confusion, "...What do comics have to do with anything?"

Hoggvir sized up the girls, "...That's a lot of gear for a bunch of teenagers" he said, noting their armor and weapons.

"That's what I said" Kjal replied, "I caught them making plans to visit the ruins nearby".

Hoggvir gave the girls a disapproving look, "Why would you want to go there?"

The girls began to sweat a bit. They'd just wanted to get their job done, they hadn't expected to get interrogated by strangers, even if they were well-meaning.

"Uh...what's wrong with the ruins?" Madoka asked hesitantly, sidestepping the question.

"Didn't your parents teach you?" Kjal asked as he folded his arms, "Ruins are dangerous! If it's not the crumbling architecture or the wild animals, then it's usually the hideout of a bandit gang...or worse. It's no place for kids".

...Alright. Enough was enough.

"You're quite right" Mami said, "I don't know what we were thinking. And anyway like you said, it's late. We should think about turning in, right girls?" she eyed the other three.

"Uh, yeah, sure!" "Yep!" came Madoka and Sayaka's over-eager replies.

Kyoko was incredulous, "Wait, just like that? We're just gonna—ow!" Sayaka elbowed her in the gut with a knowing glare. Kyoko got the message (though it took a second or two) and shut up.

Madoka gave a fake yawn...badly, trying to distract from the others' antics, "Er, yes. It's very late and we've had a long day. We should probably get some sleep".

Mami folded up the map, "You three go on ahead, I'll go get Nagisa" she turned to Kjal and Hoggvir, "It was nice to meet you" she said as Madoka shepherded Kyoko and Sayaka to their room.

"You as well" Kjal said, "We've got some business to wrap up here tonight, but tomorrow morning we'll be sure to catch you before we leave".

"Thank you for looking out for us, it's appreciated. Excuse me" she bowed slightly, then excused herself so she could retrieve Nagisa from the front porch.

* * *

Steam emerged from Nagisa's nostrils as she exhaled in a fit of stress and guilt. She sat out on the inn's front porch, curled up next to and underneath an unattended table as she tried to make sense of things in her book.

The book Neloth had given her. About enchanting.

They'd all sort of sworn off enchanting back at the College when Valtir had explained to them exactly what they were doing, but he'd also told them they were going to need to get used to it at some point.

She eyed the pea-sized spider she'd caught in a jar warily. Was she really going to do this?

She had to. The others needed an enchanter and...and Nagisa needed to be useful. Somehow. Obviously she wasn't much good in a fight; she'd been taken out at the start of the battle in Solitude and had forced the other girls to spend all night trying to keep her from dying. She had little to contribute. As a herald of the Law of Cycles she'd relied on her inherent powers, but now...a handful of base spells and almost zero fighting skills were not enough.

The nine-year-old looked up at the night sky, at the brilliant emerald lights shimmering across the stars. They dimly illuminated the brick and wooden huts that made up the town, stretching down the darkened street. She felt so utterly adrift and alone—she had no one. Not that that was unusual but she'd thought...just this once…

What a stupid girl she was. A stupid girl who thought she deserved anything.

Why was she here? She had increasingly few reasons to hang around...but she had no reason to be anywhere else either and the thought of going off on her own for real terrified her, but as long as she was stuck here with the others she...this wasn't where she belonged, if she belonged anywhere at all.

Mami and Sayaka were right, she should have just gone back to the Law of Cycles. At least then she would have done as she had been told. At least then none of this would have happened. Kyoko's words came back to her: _Don't ever apologize for wanting to live. If someone has a problem with that, they're the asshole, not you._

But Kyoko was spending most of her time with Sayaka these days, who most assuredly _did _have a problem with her, and she and Mami and Madoka were all hiding what Kyoko had done to keep Sayaka from getting angry; because apparently it was fine that she was angry at Nagisa. None of them would say anything; oh sure they might redirect Sayaka elsewhere or distract her and then flash a sympathetic look at Nagisa, as if fake platitudes made everything better. But it was fine. It was acceptable.

Her fist clenched.

No. No, no anger. That was how she'd thrown her mother's chance at life away. That was how she'd ended up in this mess to begin with.

...Not that a father who'd left her or a dying mother who'd hated her had been much of an improvement. More of a lateral move than anything else.

But maybe, if she was useful, if she was essential…

Exhaling with sudden determination, she held her soul gem up to the spider in the jar and then summoned the trap spell. In an instant, the spider curled up into a ball on its back, lifeless, and the small crystal in her hand began to glow ever so faintly.

She'd just stolen a soul. She'd done it, just like that. So easy. Just...just like she'd intended.

Just like the Incubators.

Nagisa resisted a sudden urge to vomit. Why? She smashed spiders all the time. Why was this any different? ..Stealing a soul was...different, wasn't it? It didn't matter if it was a spider, it was still more...profane, for lack of a better term. And now she was going to use that soul's energy to enchant her weapon. She was going to use the creature's very essence as a power source.

Just like the Incubators.

She felt a little sick. Nagisa repressed her thoughts. No, she was too far into this now. There was no turning back.

Pulling out a small iron dagger, she placed the soul gem up to it. Her intent was to give it something simple; a flame enchantment. She glanced down at the instructions in the book again, holding her breath in concentration. Doing exactly what the book told her to, she brought the two objects together-

"Come on, come on..."

The soul gem shattered, its empty fragments falling to the floor with no sign of the soul anywhere. The dagger was equally cold and lifeless. A defeated whine escaped her lips.

She'd messed it up.

All that work, the soul of a living creature harvested, all for nothing.

She'd have to harvest something else and try again. How many times would she have to do that before she got anywhere?

How many times would she need to enchant things and recharge them after that?

"...Nagisa?" Mami called, peeking her head out the front door. Nagisa nearly jumped, rattled from her thoughts and she quickly swept the remains of the soul gem and the spider away into the dark, removing the evidence of her shame from view.

"What?" she asked, standing up turning towards Mami.

"Come back inside, we're about to get ready" Mami said with a smile, then saw the troubled, nay distraught look on Nagisa's face, "...Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine" Nagisa grumbled.

Mami opened the door for Nagisa to come in and stepped aside, "...Are you sure?" she asked. Nagisa certainly didn't _seem_ alright, "...What were you doing out here?"

"Nothing" she said.

"Nagisa..."

"I said I'm fine!" Nagisa replied, a bit more forcefully as she slammed her book shut. Mami was taken slightly aback, but nodded all the same as Nagisa walked into the inn.

"...Alright, if you're sure". Mami frowned—something had happened and she didn't know what. She repressed the overwhelming feeling that everything was falling to pieces around her and instead focused on the task at hand.

* * *

"They're _still_ out there?" Sayaka groaned in exasperation, flinging herself down on one of the two beds in the room with a grunt, "It's been like an hour!"

"...Twenty minutes, actually" Madoka said helpfully. Sayaka sent an unamused expression her way. Madoka chuckled shamefully, "Sorry, just saying".

"Patience" Mami said quietly, still keeping her eyes on their slightly-ajar door. Outside Kjal and Hoggvir remained busy, talking and drinking with the few guests still around this late in the night, "They have to go to bed eventually".

"Why are we even sneaking around anyway?" Kyoko said with irritation, "I can literally lift a car. We can take 'em".

Mami sighed and shot her a disapproving look, "I'd rather not start a bar fight if we can help it, thank you".

"What group did they say they belonged to again?" Sayaka asked, "The Companions?" the name sounded familiar, so she began to flip through their guidebook.

"They're a warrior's guild that provides services like monster slaying and caravan defense, sort of like the Fighters Guild elsewhere" Nagisa said, rattling off what she'd remembered. However, _then _she remembered why she wasn't talking much these days when Sayaka's only visible reaction to the fact that she'd tried to talk to her was the unconscious clenching of the girl's grip on her book. Nagisa laid back down on her bed and shut up.

"So, mercs basically" Kyoko said lazily, "No wonder they were all up in our business, they probably expect us to pay them. Mami, what the hell?"

Mami sighed, "I was trying to get them to leave us be. And I'm not the one who sad 'yes'" she side-eyed Madoka who laughed in embarrassment.

"Sorry!" she said apologetically, "They seemed nice enough. But a guide's not the worst thing we could have with us, is it?"

Mami hummed, "I suppose not. We need to make clear upfront that we can't afford their services however. What they do from that point on is their choice".

"If they refuse to leave then I guess a few extra meat shields could be useful in a fight" said Kyoko reluctantly, "Fine, whatever".

"Well, it's not like we're actually going to Whiterun anyway" Mami said, "We can get this job done and be on our way before they even know it".

"We're going to have to find _some_ way back to Winterhold" Sayaka said, "Whiterun might be our best choice, actually".

Mami glanced out the door, "...They're gone!" she said, not seeing a trace.

Sayaka put the guidebook away and stood up in a burst of relief, "Finally!"

"So what _is_ the plan?" Kyoko asked as the group began to gather their gear, "Unless it really is just 'get our shit kicked in again', I mean".

"They caught us by surprise last time" Mami said as she grabbed her things, "We didn't know their capabilities or their numbers until it was too late. They surrounded us in close quarters and split us up. This time, they won't get that chance".

"Except, y'know, we'll be on their turf" Kyoko replied.

Madoka for her part had trailed off again, watching something in the middle distance no one else could see.

"...Madoka?" Mami asked.

The girl in question pulled herself back, "...It's here. It's close. I think Sayaka's right, they're waiting at the ruins". The girls all frowned in a collective realization.

It was Mami who voiced their worry, "...This is a trap".

Madoka nodded somberly, but then gave an optimistic yet determined smile as she grabbed her bow from the side of the bed, "Probably. But that shard contains everyone from Mitakihara and...well, I can't just leave them behind" she paused, considering, "None of you have to come, you know. This _is _my job to fix".

"By yourself?" Sayaka asked incredulously as she looked her dead in the eyes, the faintest hint of her old cocky smile surfacing, "Not a chance".

"I'm not going to leave them in the hands of bandits either" Mami said, "Mitakihara is my home, nor am I going to let either of you suffer if I could have prevented it".

Madoka smiled with relief at both of them. Kyoko sighed with an eye-roll as she finally stood up and picked up her spear, "Fine, sure. I guess we can all go die together".

"Such faith" Sayaka taunted.

"Eat me" Kyoko replied.

Sayaka turned back to Madoka, "So how _are_ we going to do this? If this is a trap, then that means they're waiting for us".

"The same way we beat the Incubators" Madoka said brightly, "Spring the trap".

* * *

Illindhar was dead. Valtir had suspected as much; he'd risked exposure once by contacting him after losing track of Homura to warn him, and then after that there had been silence. No letters, no memospore transmissions, no temporal echoes. And then today he'd finally gotten the news from Solitude: a dead mer, assassinated by Reach agents. A group of Akaviri girls, attacked by the same agents who then left the city and headed south. Valtir assumed the agents had the shard and Madoka's group was in pursuit. There had been no sign of Homura as of yet.

So Valtir had lost track of Madoka, Homura, and the shard. One of his fellow members was dead (actually two; poor Lanie Frey's body had been found in Dawnstar with his throat and eyes gouged out seemingly by his own hands, which was...troubling, to say the least) and the only thing he _did_ know was that someone else was gunning for the shards and they were employing Reach agents of all things—he doubted the Reachking was behind this or even knew what was going on so the question was who _was_? The Thalmor? A Daedric Prince? Someone else?

What a mess. Events were moving too fast and there were too many unknowns. He wished he'd had time to educate Madoka more on Dreamsleeve communication before she'd left, but time had been of the essence and he'd expected Illindhar to have helped with that. But that plan had been obviously scuttled, and now, frustratingly, there were exceedingly few options available to him right now other than to wait, watch, and have faith. He couldn't even reliably contact Artaeum for support, not with the Dominion possibly closing in—Illindhar was dead now right after he'd contacted him, so who was to say he wasn't being tracked himself?

In other words he was powerless, just as everything was beginning to spiral out of control.

* * *

The Whiterun Plains. Ambroise found this area to be among the less scenic places in Skyrim, despite whatever awe it struck in the average person. It was likely because unlike the thick pine forests of Falkreath or the misty canyons of the Reach, there was no protection here in the daytime from the oppression of the sun.

No matter; it was dark now and the plains were illuminated by the ghostly glow of the moons and the brilliant aurora that stretched across the sky.

Tonight the vampire found himself alone as he pushed his dark steed across the rocky plains. Normally he wouldn't have traveled so far ahead of his entourage, but time was of the essence if his underlings' messages were to be believed; Kaname and her allies had managed to track them down before they'd left Solitude even, and were believed to be fast on their heels—meaning that she had some way to reliably follow the shard. Ambroise needed to get there and close the trap before they could outflank his forces and claim victory.

Tonight, he would have his prize.


	14. 1x13: Looking forward to meeting you

_Four chapters remain for Book One after this one, so we are rapidly approaching our first endgame._

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO FINALLY MEETING YOU**

* * *

Homura hadn't lasted long in Solitude. Within an hour of entering the city and asking pointed questions about the location of Madoka Kaname and her friends, the city guard were upon her and had taken her to a very irate Orc guard captain who explained everything. About a day earlier Madoka's group had gotten into a street battle with Reach assassins and upon being arrested were then escorted out of the city. Upon receiving this information, Homura and Theodor were then politely yet firmly asked to leave Solitude. So when the gates of the city shut behind her in the golden glow of the evening, Homura couldn't help but feel just a _little_ offended.

This was probably all Miki's fault. Somehow.

Still...Reach assassins. Homura had been lucky enough to avoid the Forsworn during her flight from the Reach, and everything she'd heard about them had been less than pleasant. The guard captain had stated that the Reach agents had made off with an artifact that Madoka was after—Homura assumed that was the 'world shard' that Altmer back at the college had told her about. Homura desperately needed to catch up with her and...and…

What _was_ she going to do? Keep Madoka from finding the shard? Steal it?

...Smash it? There were countless people inside, if the wizard was to be believed.

She'd figure it out when she got there.

Homura was only a day behind. She was _so close_.

Thankfully, it only took a short while of questioning various drivers, stable workers, and guards that were working all around her before she was able to piece together that Madoka had left for Dragon Bridge, and from there southeast along the main road.

...Well, that was annoyingly vague. Still, it gave her a direction and she was close enough in pursuit that the trail was still hot. That said, she needed to _keep_ the trail hot.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" she asked Theodor, currently doing calisthenics of all things against a wooden post.

He stopped, "Course I do! What self-respecting vagrant doesn't?" she glared at him, "Present company excluded, of course!"

Homura's glare lingered for a moment, but then she turned to the nearest stables with the flick of her hair, "Good. We're stealing one".

"Excellent!" the older man said with a clap of his hands, "How we do? Start a fire? Bluff our way through? Put buckets on all the guards' heads so they can't see?" he glanced at a chicken currently minding its own business, "...We'll need to kill the livestock so they don't rat us out".

Homura found herself actually considering the deeper mechanics of Theodor's 'plan' before catching and reminding herself that _no_, that was crazy and she definitely wasn't crazy. "No. I'm going to distract the guards. You're going to steal a horse with an invisibility spell".

"You sure you don't want me to do the distracting?" Theodor asked, only to be met with another glare; she definitely was not going to let him make his own distraction. God only knew what kind of chaos he'd manage to stir, "Fine, fine. You're the boss!" Theodor turned and vanished from sight. With an irritated sigh Homura got to work, walking over to a pair of guards standing watch.

"Something we can do for you, miss?" one of the fully-armored guards asked as she approached.

"Yes, in fact" Homura said plainly, "I'd like to report a fire".

"A fire? Where?" the guard asked, as he and his companion shifted from a casual position into full alertness. His companion looked around for the threat in question.

With almost casual indifference, Homura charged up her fist with flames before she shot off three successive blasts into separate haystacks, "Over there".

Immediately everyone in the area began to either panic and run from the assumed attack or shift into gear to try and put out the fires. As his companion ran off to halt the spread of the blaze, the first guard angrily yelled at the teenager in front of him, "You stupid girl, what do you think you're doing?!"

Without even missing a beat and keeping her nearly-unblinking stare on the guard in front of her, Homura lifted her hand behind her and sent another fireball into the wall of a stable, "You should go take care of that before it spreads" she said, flicking her hand through her hair for dramatic effect.

The guard towered over her, his rage plainly visible even with a helmet completely covering his face, "Girl, I am placing you under arrest and—huh?"

She was gone; vanished right before his eyes. The guard panicked, looking all around for any sign of the delinquent as chaos reigned around him; civilians and guard alike running to and fro while horses struggled to free themselves and run. He summoned up a detect life spell, hoping to catch the girl escaping if she was using some sort of invisibility spell but...nothing.

"What in the name of the Divines..."

Having both slowed time and rendered herself invisible (and luckily for her, technically undead), Homura excused herself to a safe place beyond the stables and behind some outlaying buildings, away from the chaos within just as her magic ran out. She panted slightly, idly wondering if there was some way to increase her magicka supply.

"Ah, there you are!" Theodor's familiar voice called. Homura turned to find the man had indeed picked out a horse complete with a saddle and bags of feed attached to the sides which he was now riding.

Also, the horse had large buck-teeth, and when it neighed, it sounded more like a deep, unhinged laugh, "EEEUUURHURHURHURHURHURHURHUR".

"...What's wrong with the horse?" Homura asked in mild horror. She was so, _so_ glad no one she knew was going to see her riding this. Too bad about all those strangers though.

"Wrong?" Theodor asked with concern, "Nothing's wrong. He's just a normal horse" he began to pet the steed, "Aren't you? Absolutely normal in every way. Definitely not an unholy abomination in the eyes of whatever god you worship".

"EEEUUURHURHURHURHURHURHURHURHURK-"

The horse began to choke on its own laugh. It began to hack something up, until a large block of half-eaten cheese dislodged itself from its throat and landed with a bounce on the ground. Homura stared in disgust.

Theodor frowned with a shrug, "Okay, so maybe slightly unholy".

Homura just stood there, "You're kidding". She knew he wasn't kidding. Uuuuugh. Where had a horse like this even come from!?

"So, you just gonna stand there slack-jawed, or are you going to hop on?"

She nodded numbly, before sighing as she approached, "Apologies. Just...wondering when exactly my life stopped making sense". Wondering when she just started to accept it.

"Life never made sense!" Theodor said cheerfully as he helped her up, "That's why it's life! It's a series of unrelated random events that only seem like they're connected when you try to make sense of them after the fact in some desperate, futile attempt to keep from cracking up. Haha! Oh, speaking of". Theodor pulled out a long narrow object with a tie-on, and then reached forward and wrapped it around the horse's head like...like…

Oh god damn it, it was a horn.

"No" she said flatly.

"Yep!" Theodor replied with a maddening grin, "It'll give us a good disguise in case someone recognizes the horse!"

She looked back at the large buck teeth, "No it won't".

"Would you like to make a bet on that?" Theodor said, an edge to his voice as they rejoined the main road and headed out of town once and for all.

Homura decided not to press the matter—mostly because she didn't really care, and certainly not because on some deep instinctual level she knew Theodor would somehow manage to rig the game so he'd win just to prove a point.

"...No".

"Good! Onwards then, to Dragon Bridge!" he declared, rolling his R's as hard as he could when he pronounced 'Dragon'.

Homura sighed in resignation, worried that she was starting to get used to this. She wondered if the others had to put up with this nonsense.

"EEEUUURHURHURHURHURHURHURHUR".

Well, at least the horse was amused.

* * *

The trip to Dragon Bridge was surprisingly uneventful. Homura had failed any attempt at eye contact with any passersby whenever they got close.

"EEEEEEUUUUUHURHURHURHURHURHURHUR".

She didn't know why she would possibly feel embarrassed.

From Dragon Bridge the trail was spotty. The innkeeper there had guided her southeast across the...well, the dragon bridge, and from there Homura found herself asking about the whereabouts of Madoka Kaname in each and every small village along her path. Thankfully most everyone remembered the odd group of 'Akaviri' teenagers in armor passing through so she generally kept on the trail, but the fact that none of them could tell her about Madoka's ultimate destination or how far she'd have to go was annoying.

Then again, Madoka was evidently chasing the Reach agents rather than having a true destination in mind. At any rate, that all changed when she finally reached the town of Rorikstead. It was about the same size as Dragon Bridge, a couple thousand people, though in her opinion far less scenic. Instead of pine forests and river canyons, it was open yellow plains pockmarked by sharp boulders and shadowed by distant mountains.

A brief talk with the people at the inn was...less than helpful. They definitely remembered Madoka and her friends coming through, but no one could tell her where they'd gone. They'd come to stay the night at the inn, met a duo from the 'Companions' (a warrior guild of some sort, apparently), and then left later that evening.

"Why were the Companions here?" Homura asked the innkeeper, a middle-aged Nord woman with graying hair. She was drying mugs as they talked.

"I reckon it was about the job in the Ironhill Ruins" the innkeeper said, "About twenty years ago an earthquake opened up a passageway on the far side of the hill behind the town. Inside they found ruins; Snow Elf, I think, from before they went extinct. Ever since then they've been a real problem; bandits, necromancer cults, you name it. Every so often someone pays the Companions to clear out the den all over again".

"And they were occupied again?" Homura surmised.

The woman nodded, "Not sure by what; some sort of beast. Intelligent. A werewolf, maybe? All we know is that it's been stealing livestock and lurking about at night. Old man Tun said he saw it one night just outside town; scared the daylights out of him".

A beast, possibly a werewolf. Reachmen often worshiped Hircine. It was a tenuous connection, Homura knew, but it was all she had to work with. The fact of the matter was that Madoka had left the inn late in the evening and never returned, _after_ meeting with the Companions who were here for a job.

Homura thanked the innkeeper for her time and headed outside where Theodor waited atop the horse.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked.

Homura sighed with frustration as she pulled herself onto the horse, looking out towards the hill to the north that the road they used to enter the town cut through, "...No one knows where she went. I have a lead but it's exceedingly tenuous".

So they went; doubling back north to the backside of the hill where, sure enough, rubble from an earthquake two decades ago had been brushed aside, and the underling architecture could be seen. It definitely didn't look like anything else she'd seen in Skyrim; not the psudo-Japanese Blades temple atop the Karthspire, not the numerous rugged Nordic ruins that dotted the landscape, and certainly not the steampunk-esque Dwemer fortresses she'd seen from afar.

It was elegant, like something straight out of a fairy tail; a large stone door with glass embedded in it and arranged into abstract designs. Around it the white brickwork was austere yet beautiful in its own right. Straight and unyielding, yet gentle in the curves it did have.

Homura got off the horse and began to look around.

Nothing.

Maybe the interior would what she was looking for. What _was _she looking for? What could she possibly expect to find here?

Some...clue, a sign. Like what? A footprint? How would she know if it was Madoka's? A scrap of clothing? A handwritten letter from Madoka telling her where they'd gone?

Homura was no detective, her method for dealing with problems was a block of C4 and a timestop; for years she'd been used to dealing with the exact same problems over and over again, brute forcing her way through each obstacle, but now...now she didn't even know where to begin, and the longer she waited here the further Madoka got away and she didn't even know if she was alright—she'd vanished without a trace in the middle of the night and never returned which was exceedingly worrying. Had she even come here? Was Homura in the wrong place? Had someone kidnapped her? Was she dead? Had she actually succeeded somehow and reascended, leaving Homura behind to rot for her sins?

Weeks of effort were going up in smoke and Homura had nothing to show for it because she was a stupid, stupid girl. Stupid!

She might be hurt. She might be dead. She might have ascended. Homura might be trapped here alone for all eternity, her purpose finally and truly failed with no way out.

No. _Snap out of it._ Homura resisted the siren song of a full-blown panic attack through sheer stubborn grit, instead making sure to take deep breaths as she centered herself as best she could.

No, she wasn't going to break here. She'd been in worse spots. _Far _worse.

"You" she said with a hint of unsteadiness and desperation but as much authority as she could muster to Theodor, "Is there a spell we can use to track Madoka somehow?"

"Hmmm" Theodor mused for a moment, then fished a small vial out of his robes, "Ta-Daaaaa!"

Homura looked down at the container holding an unknown liquid, "…What is that?"

"Why, it's a potion, silly!"

A sigh. Homura massaged her forehead, "Yes, I understand that. What _kind_ of potion?"

Theodor grinned, "Time is a funny thing, isn't it? People spend their whole lives running from it! Running from their past, running from their future! Hah, even running from their present!" he gave Homura a knowing side-eye, "But then you find out time is just an immortal half-dead insane Aedric dragon between schizophrenic episodes trying to eat his own tail and you realize time is actually running from _you_! Ah, mortality".

"You're rambling" Homura said flatly, "Get to the point".

"Kids today! No patience or respect. Fine. Imagine time is like a river; steady but always pushing you forward...at least until it dumps you out and leaves your bloody carcass for the sharks! But if you happen to look around while you're being hopelessly dashed from rock to rock on the way down, you can see where you're going...and where you've been". He handed the potion to her.

Homura eyed the drink warily before taking it, "...You're saying I can use this to look into the past?"

The grin widened, "Now you're getting it. If time is the river, then the water itself is memory. It fills the river and carves into the rock, leaving an imprint you can find and altering it forever. And no amount of wishing or hand-wringing or rock-sanding will ever fix that rock ever again! You're stuck with it! Forever and ever!" he paused, considering, "Quite maddening if you liked that rock, hmm? Could you imagine if you, oh I don't know, dedicated your entire miserable existence to endlessly trying to fix an unfixable rock? Ho-Ho! Quite the fools' errand, sanding the rock down, never quite getting that jagged point you loved so well until the whole thing simply ceases to exist!" he blinked, his face bunching up in confusion, "...What were we talking about again?"

"...This potion" Homura answered, suddenly a bit more wary at the sudden turn in conversation. Surely she was reading too much into things, right? She bit down on her sudden swell of indignation as she in no way wanted to have a conversation about _that_ with someone who clearly didn't understand, but instead focused on the fact that somehow his characteristic mad ranting almost implied he knew far more than he'd let on. "...Why do you even have this potion?" she asked, suspicious.

"Right, the potion!" Theodor's grin returned. He shrugged, "I dunno, why do I have half the stuff I do?" he opened his pack and began pulling stuff out, "A jar of mayonnaise, a skeever tail (should probably get rid of him, he's starting to smell…), sixteen copies of '_The Arcturian Heresy',_ and...whose skull is this? I don't rightly know! Uh...oh. Coupons for Candlehearth Hall. I should probably use these before they expire".

Coincidence. Homura was simply being paranoid, she told herself. Infinite monkeys and infinite typewriters and all, after all he was back to random unrelated tangents now anyway.

...Yeah, she didn't believe that. Theodor had seemed like he knew more than he'd let on a number of times.

"Focus, Theodor. This potion will allow me to track Madoka's movements in the past, correct? Are there side effects?"

"Wha?" Theodor looked up as he put stuff back in his pack, "Nah. Well...possible nausea, I guess. Wait, you're not allergic to eggs, are you?"

"No".

"Then no. Bottoms up!"

Homura sighed, studying the small vial in her hands with mild distrust. Then again, she didn't have much of a choice. She would do anything to save Madoka, and cursed herself for her own hesitance. Homura uncorked the vial and let the bitter liquid into her body with a single swig before swallowing. She bit at the taste, "Eugh".

Just as she was about to complain that nothing had happened, her world went blurry and dull. The color faded, day turned into night, and she felt like she needed glasses again. She hunched over at a sudden headache that struck her as her mind seemingly tried to catch up.

It almost felt like she'd stood up too quickly.

"Just let it happen" she heard Theodor say, though she couldn't tell where he was and his voice felt increasingly distant, "Or don't, I'm not a doctor".

She was alone.

"Madoka?" she called out, then louder, "MADOKA!"

"Over here!"

Homura's head shot around, her eyes wide as she heard a _very _familiar voice. A voice part of her had thought she'd never hear again.

There she was. Madoka, radiant as ever. She was leading the others to the Snow Elf door, and all of them were on high alert. She was...she was here. Homura could see her, hear her. Her breathing hitched.

"...Madoka?" Homura asked hesitantly with a small voice not even believing it, but none of the girls acknowledged her existence. Why would they? This was a memory. Still; Madoka was alive. She'd known for weeks, but to actually see her, to hear her voice…she was _real._ She'd been here. Homura wasn't just chasing a phantom. Tears began to stream down Homura's face as she reached out and...and her hand went right through Madoka's shoulder. Homura recoiled as the group began to spread out.

"No welcome wagon" Kyoko said, looking about, "What's up with that?"

"They're probably waiting for us inside" Mami sighed, "Which means we'll have to go to them".

"...It's definitely in there" Madoka said, looking at the door. She frowned, sighed, then prepared to open it.

"Woah, what are you doing?" Sayaka asked, grabbing Madoka's hand, "They might be waiting for us on the other side!"

"I know, but there's no other way in!" Madoka protested.

Sayaka sighed, "Okay well...at least let me go in first, huh? I've got good wards".

"Kyoko and I will take point" Mami said, Sayaka's shoulders slumping, "Sayaka, you're our healer and Madoka is primarily ranged combat. You two and Nagisa will provide support".

Madoka nodded and backed away from the door so Mami could take the lead.

"Y'know just because I like kicking ass doesn't mean I like being the sacrificial lamb" Kyoko grumbled.

Madoka flipped down the hood of her cloak so she could see better. Homura stopped and stared at Madoka's loose hair. No pigtails. The red ribbons she'd given back to her were nowhere to be seen. Why would…

Oh.

Homura's expression of relief became troubled; Madoka had rejected her. What else could it mean? She'd given Madoka back the ribbons after stealing her away; of course Madoka would see them as a symbol of her imprisonment.

They really were enemies now after all.

Something wrenched deep in Homura's stomach.

No. No regret, no remorse. She'd known what she was signing up for. This was for the best. She'd done what she'd had to, and she would continue to do so, regardless of the consequences to herself. She could live with this. She _would_ live with it.

"What the—oh for the love of Talos..." Homura turned to see a blonde Nordic man stepping into the area, followed by another Nordic man, this time with dark hair. Both were very irate, "What did we tell you kids about messing with ruins? And at this time of night!"

Ah, these must have been the Companions Homura had been told about.

"...Aw poop" Sayaka muttered with a grimace at the fact they'd been caught.

"So you just lied to us to get us out of the way" the dark-haired man said, "...Kids".

"Told you you should have let me beat 'em back at the bar" Kyoko told Mami crossly.

"Kyoko, please" Mami gently pushed Kyoko aside and turned to the new arrivals with her signature diplomatic face, "Apologies for the deception, we _were _hoping to keep you uninvolved".

"Why are you here anyway?" Sayaka asked in a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

"Our job" Kjal said, equally irritated, "We're here to clear a beast of some kind out of the ruin. It's been eating the locals' farm animals at night. Which is _exactly_ why we don't want you kids out here messing around. Go back to the inn where it's safe".

"I'm afraid we can't do that" Madoka said, "In fact, we would really appreciate it if you went back yourselves. You can collect the reward for your job when we're done, we promise".

The Companions looked like they were on the verge of questioning reality. A bunch of kids were telling them to go back while they dealt with their job? What on Nirn…

Hoggvir stepped forward, "Look kids, I don't know what this is about, but this isn't some sort of game. This isn't pretend. You need. To. Leave. Please".

Sayaka sighed, "Look, as much as we would love to, we can't. Some bandits stole something really important from us and now we need to get it back".

"We tracked them all the way from Solitude" Madoka added.

"Bandits? Solitude?" Kjal balked, "...What in Shor's name...what have you kids gotten yourselves into? Whatever it is, we can help you, I swear. You don't need to do whatever it is you think you need to".

Madoka gently shook her head with a sad laugh, "I'm afraid you wouldn't believe us if we told you".

"It's appreciated, but you needn't worry about us" Mami said reassuringly, "We're sort of old pros at this".

"Sorry, but there's not really much you could do to stop us anyway" Sayaka added with an apologetic smile as Mami and Kyoko turned their attention back to the door.

"Ready girls?" Mami asked, and got a collection of yeses. She nodded to Kyoko who nodded back as Madoka drew up her bow, and the blonde and redhead opened the door. The group entered, leaving two very perplexed and dumbfounded Nord mercenaries behind.

"What...what just happened?" Hoggvir asked his husband, baffled.

Kjal shook his head, then nudged Hoggvir's shoulder onwards, "Come on, let's make sure they don't get themselves killed". He did _not_ want to have to bury a bunch of teenagers today.

* * *

She would never admit it, but Homura found herself having a perverse sense of enjoyment in watching the girls run circles around the older two mercenaries as the combined group made their way into the ruin. For all her faults, Mami had always been very good at running a tight ship, and the team expertly made their way through the ruins, checking each room and alcove in turn even as the two Companions continued to protest only to have their words fall on deaf ears.

...They really were better off without her, weren't they? Homura had always shifted the balance of the team and made it too heavy on long-range, but the new girl, Nagisa, she balanced the group better.

Hmm. Maybe she should have let them fight Wraiths instead of repressing their powers. Under careful supervision of course so that they were never in real danger but...no, no. She remembered why she hadn't attempted it; it would have been too big of a risk with possibly waking everyone's memories, especially considering how hard it had been keeping everyone under thumb as it was.

Free will was so vexing.

The Snow Elf ruins were certainly something else; alabaster white and gold, austere yet regal. The place was softly lit by crystals that cast an almost eerie glow with long shadows. It was a maze of interconnected hallways that gently funneled the group deep beneath the hill. Thankfully most of the maze was off-limits; many of the passageways had crumbled over time, blocking the way forwards.

"Wow, this is nothing like the Nordic tomb back up in Solitude" Sayaka said, looking around in wonder.

"It definitely doesn't look like anything Nordic" Mami mused as they passed by golden statues of elves in robes that lined the walls, "Dwarven?"

"The guys who built the robots?" Sayaka asked her, "If this was them, wouldn't this place have more like, I dunno, gears and stuff?"

"It's probably not right to judge an entire culture by one robot" Mami replied.

Hoggvir sighed angrily, "It's a Snow Elf ruin. Am I seriously expected to believe you just barged in here without any foreknowledge of what you were getting into?"

Kyoko gave him a side eye, "Are you seriously still here? And what's the problem? So we can't pass a test on Skyrim history, big whoop".

"The problem, little girl" Hoggvir said, stepping in front of Kyoko and blocking her path—inflaming the redhead's anger, "Is that most ruins are either booby-trapped or have other dangers, and if you traipse around in here without respect for those cultures, you will quickly wind up _very_ dead".

"Oh yeah?" Kyoko said, challenging him—though a four foot scrawny teen trying to intimidate the much larger Nord was more comedic than threatening, "Well if you're so smart, why don't you tell us what kind of traps to expect here, huh?"

Hoggvir actually looked a little uncomfortable now, as if he'd suddenly realized he'd backed himself into a corner, "Well...Snow Elf ruins are...actually usually among the safer ruins..." he trailed off.

Kyoko rolled her eyes and walked past him, "Really. How nice for us".

"Kyoko, please" Mami said gently.

"Apologies for Hoggvir" Kjal said, placing a reassuring hand on his husband's shoulder, "He's a bit of an amateur historian and archeologist. But he is right though".

Madoka gave the others a pleading smile, to which she got a variety of reactions: an eye-roll from Kyoko but a gesture that said she was washing her hands of the whole thing, reluctant but reassuring agreement from Sayaka and Mami, and a bare shrug from Nagisa who didn't care much either way. Madoka turned to Hoggvir and Kjal as they continued to sweep the empty ruins, "I'm sorry we've been so short with you; maybe we haven't taken this as seriously as we should. Why don't you tell us about Snow Elves?"

"Ah, that's Hoggvir's area; I'm more of a swords and sharp things that'll kill you kinda guy" Kjal patted the two-handed steel longsword hanging on his backside.

Hoggvir frowned, feeling oddly like he was being patronized by a bunch of kids. Whatever, "Well, Snow Elves were, obviously, a race of elves that existed in Skyrim long before we Nords arrived here. They made the mistake of attacking and razing the first human colony in Skyrim, the city of Sarthaal, and over the next several centuries we drove them back. Snow Elf ruins are actually rather rare; most of them were above ground and the early Nords went out of their way to destroy their cities after they drove them out".

"Sounds a little excessive" Sayaka said, noting more statues has they passed by.

"Perhaps" Hoggvir said, "But in the end the elves brought it on themselves, as they usually do. The Dark Elves enslaved the Argonians, so the Argonians struck back after the elves were weakened by Red Year. The Ayleids enslaved the Nedic humans of Cyrodiil and tortured them, so it was no surprise when the Nedes rose up and wiped them out. And I'm sure the High Elves and their so-called 'Aldmeri Dominion' will fall thanks to their own arrogance. Just you wait".

"But we've met plenty of elves" Madoka protested, "They all seemed nice". She couldn't imagine Valtir or the College elves being evil, not after everything they'd done for them.

"An elf can be nice" Kjal said, "Heck, there are a few in the Companions and I'd trust them with my life, but elven culture is not. It always ends the same way; with a bunch of dead humans all while claiming enlightenment".

"Case in point" Hoggvir said, "The Snow Elves went to the Dwarves for help, and the Dwarves, fellow elves that they were, turned on them and used them for their twisted experiments. They did _something_ to the Snow Elves, and now all that's left are a bunch of feral blind goblin things that haunt Dwemer ruins".

The girls all gave Hoggvir a look, surprised and horrified.

"They betrayed them?" Sayaka said, aghast. Mami and Madoka looked on in mild shock.

Hoggvir nodded, "I don't know the specifics, but the Dwarves took them in and then stabbed them in the back when they were at their weakest. They blinded and tortured them until they were little more than animals".

"...Who would do such a thing?" Mami asked, distressed, "That's horrible".

Sayaka had a look of horror, "That's...just awful. Why would anyone do that? Betraying someone when they asked you for help and doing..._that _to them...it's unforgivable" She didn't notice Kyoko trailing behind and tensing up just a bit.

"It's just how elves work. Give them an inch, they take a mile. It's nothing personal, they think they're doing you a favor" Kjal said.

"So what happened to the Dwarves then?" Nagisa asked.

Hoggvir laughed heartily, "Now isn't that the million gold question? No one knows; they just vanished one day and everyone has their own pet theory".

"...All of them?" Nagisa asked, surprised, "Every single one?"

"Every single one. One day they were just gone; left their cities behind and just ceased to exist. No one knows why" Hoggvir replied.

"I hear something" Mami said in a hushed tone, ahead of everyone else. The rest of the group tensed as the two Nords watched the girls expertly place themselves around the exit to the hallway up ahead. It led to a staircase that opened up to a much larger chamber; two stories in height with two rows of pillars holding it up. On each side rushing waterfalls poured out into stone basin fountains and in the very center atop an elevated section was a very large golden statue of an elf balancing what looked to be the sun in midair between his hands. All along the walls were shelves of books, and stone tables lined the open areas of the room.

It was gorgeous, but it wasn't what caught the girls' attentions. Instead up ahead sat their enemy: they'd switched out outfits, but it was clearly the trio who had ambushed them in Solitude, plus another guy they'd never seen before. Instead of the clothes and armor they'd had before, now they all looked like wild men: furs, feathers, and bone ornaments covered their bodies while warpaint covered their faces. Decidedly human skulls decorated their belts, and large animal claws dangled as necklaces along their chests. The leader, the Breton who had wielded the hammer with a lightning enchantment, stood almost bare-chested but with an elaborate helmet made from an elk's skull, with the antlers reaching above his head.

In the corner nearest to them lay the body of a dead troll, face down. Well, at least that was the beast Kjal and Hoggvir had been contracted to slay accounted for.

"...Reachmen!?" Kjal whispered in shock, "I thought you kids said you were after bandits!"

"It doesn't look like they're expecting us yet" Sayaka said, noting that the quartet were milling around; the Orc was napping against a pillar, while the leader was messing with one of the pools, leaving the other Breton male and the female to stand watch—though they were idly chatting about something.

"Good" Mami said, eyes narrowed as possible plans of attack went through her mind, "Then we have the advantage in both numbers and surprise. If we can take out at least one of them in the opening salvo, we can scatter the others and pick them off one by one".

"We should probably pair off" Madoka said, crouching next to Mami as they both looked beyond the doorway, "It will keep them on the defensive".

Mami nodded, "Agreed".

"Sayaka and me got dibs on Hammer Bro" Kyoko flashed a grin at Sayaka who nodded right back, "Unfinished business and all".

Homura arched her eyebrow; surely those two would be at each others' throats after what had happened; Sayaka Miki wasn't one to forgive easy. Huh, weird. Maybe everyone just got along better whenever she wasn't around to mess things up.

"I'll take the Orc then" Mami agreed, "Madoka and Nagisa, keep the other two busy until the rest of us can support you; we'll try to wrap our fights up as soon as possible".

"...We don't know anything about the new guy" Sayaka said, "Ideas?"

"I'll take him" Madoka said making sure her bow's string was tight, "I can keep my distance until I know his capabilities".

"That leaves the girl" Mami turned to Nagisa, "Just keep her busy and stay away from her poison. I'll be along shortly, okay?"

"You know, I _was_ a Herald for the Law of Cycles" Nagisa said flatly, bristling at the sudden kid gloves.

"Yeah, and we saw how that went" Sayaka muttered to herself under her breath, but more loudly than she'd intended. The others shot her a mixture of disapproving looks and Sayaka instantly shut up and looked away, chastened and (slightly) embarrassed. Homura couldn't help but get a bit of schadenfreude out of that.

"...Law of what now?" Hoggvir asked, lost. Herald? Cycles? Some kind of game? "Is that some sort of Akaviri thing?" They were Tsaesci, right? They were less snake-like than one would be led to believe, but he'd always kind of assumed that was old Imperial propaganda anyway.

"Uh...sort of!" Madoka chuckled nervously—the others had odd looks about them too which only made Hoggvir even more lost. Nagisa nearly slapped herself for letting that slip.

Kjal coughed, "Uh...we can help, you know" he said with a bit of awkwardness, not used to being completely ignored in battle plans. Battle plans being made by kids. Fairly effective battle plans at that. No hesitation, no confusion, nothing that would indicate any of them were amateurs. They had quickly and effectively surveyed the situation, divvied up the targets, and planned a full strategy in a matter of seconds. The oldest girl was no older then fifteen, and they'd completely sidelined him and Hoggvir with little effort.

The girl in question gave him a knowing smile, "...We gratefully accept your assistance. If you could back up Madoka and Nagisa, that would be wonderful".

Kjal shrugged with a helpless smile at his husband, then joined Madoka. Hoggvir turned to Nagisa, "I guess I'm with you then".

"...Sure" Nagisa replied neutrally, then pulled out her hammer and got ready. The group prepared for battle, waiting for Mami to give the signal when she thought the moment was right. That gave Hoggvir a chance to try something he'd just thought of: he summoned a 'detect life' spell and to his surprise the only other living being in their group was Kjal. He then tried a 'detect undead' spell and...oh. Oh wow.

He'd kind of assumed the 'immortal snake vampires' bit everyone liked to bring up when talking about the Tsaesci was overhyped but...huh. Maybe there was some truth to that.

What the hell had he and Kjal gotten themselves involved in?

The woman broke off conversation with the newcomer and headed over to talk with the leader, still messing with the waterfall fountain with his back turned to the group.

Perfect.

"Ready on my mark" Mami said, "MARK!"

Like a well-oiled machine, the girls shot off like rockets into the room, weapons at the ready as they fanned out towards their intended targets.

The newcomer was first to see them, "They're here!"

"Already?!" the woman exclaimed.

"Rush 'em, girls! Fast and hard!" Mami shouted as the battle was joined.

"Wha!?" the Breton with the hammer exclaimed as Sayaka and Kyoko came at him. He drew his hammer from his backside and charged it up with electricity before slinging it down into the ground.

"Kyoko!" Sayaka shouted. Wordlessly, Kyoko leaped up and used Sayaka's shoulders as a launching point, letting the other girl take the brunt of the impact with her wards while Kyoko came down and gave the man a taste of her spear. Just as he parried her, Sayaka was upon him too, the pair weaving in and out with expert agility and completely in-sync with the other.

That was when they noticed something wrong with the man. They hadn't been able to tell back in Solitude, as he'd had a full set of armor on then, but now they could clearly tell he had a gaping chest wound right where his heart should have been—like, the Loony Toons kind where they could see right through him. Instead of his vital organ, the man had what looked to be a pine cone on steroids locked in place with leather straps.

"...What the hell?" Kyoko uttered.

Sayaka stuck her tongue out, "Ugh, that's gross".

"Oh, this?" the man motioned to his chest with glee, "This is a briarheart. It makes me stronger, tougher, more powerful. You should understand, I would think, considering your soul gems are similar".

Both girls froze in surprise. Sayaka glared and gripped her swords tighter, "What do you know about our soul gems?!"

The man gave an ugly smile under his headdress as he readied his hammer, "Everything. Which is why I'm going to have to take them from you now".

"Over our dead bodies" Kyoko replied, readying her own spear.

"That's the idea" he laughed before swinging down.

The Orc meanwhile, hadn't known what had hit him. He was still in the process of getting to his feet when Mami's chain wrapped around his midsection and he suddenly felt himself flying through the air, glancing off a pillar and landing in a fountain with a splash.

He made a token struggle to get back up but then flopped back down into the water unconscious. Well, that was one down.

The woman saw her Orc friend fly through the air—big mistake, as her distraction allowed Nagisa and Hoggvir to get close. She blocked Nagisa's war hammer with her own mage stave that was covered in bones, teeth, claws, and feathers. With an expert twist, she flung the young girl's weapon out of her hands.

"Oh come on!" Nagisa shouted, frustrated, right before she was kicked away herself. The witch turned her attention on Hoggvir as he swung in with his battleaxe, dodging the attack before summoning magic to her stave.

"Ignorant Nord savage" she grunted, "Swinging a clumsy hunk of metal like it's the pinnacle of combat" she thrust her weapon into the air as electricity began to crackle and a wind picked up around them, "No wonder we drove your kind from The Reach!"

A chain whip wrapped around the stave, "Wha-" the woman yelped as the weapon was torn from her grip and her rapidly-rising storm vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. Mami flung the weapon away, leaving the woman speechless—and then unconscious as a fist full of lightning courtesy of Nagisa hit her in her midsection at full force.

Hoggvir watched in awe as a nine-year-old launched a full-grown woman into the air.

_Definitely_ not human.

Meanwhile a short distance away Kjal and the newcomer traded blows, both wielding heavy two-handed long swords with near-equal skill. It didn't last long though; Madoka's well-placed arrow fire managed to knock the newcomer's weapon from his hands, and he howled in pain at the wound she'd left. A blunt assault from the hilt of Kjal's sword sent him to the floor.

"What's your game, Reachman?" Kjal demanded with contempt as he towered over the man's body, his sword aimed at his neck, "Why are you inside Whiterun territory? Who said you could leave The Reach?"

The Reachman looked around; two of his subordinates were down for the count and the third, while still in the fight, was outnumbered and on the defensive.

Fine; time to shake things up.

"Fool, you think this is about paltry borders? Everything you know is about to change, Nord" the Reachman spat before he began to violently contort and shift. His body rippled and changed right in front of Kjal and Madoka, and they and Homura began to step away as he got bigger and much, _much _hairier. His face grew a snout and his teeth became long canines as his fingernails turned into deadly claws. Now more wolf than man, a deep growling voice issued from his mouth as he turned to Madoka, "Your soul gem or your life, child".

Madoka tensed at the sudden and somewhat harrowing transformation; they'd gotten a primer about werecreatures and vampires at the college, but to actually see it happen in front of her eyes had been...well, it looked like it had hurt. Still, she stood defiant, "I'm sorry, I can't. My soul gem _is _my life. What would you even need it for?" Madoka tried to explain while Kjal looked on in confusion.

The werewolf towered over the teen with a hungry look, "My boss says you're the god of hope, are you not? Seems like a useful thing to have at the Reach's disposal".

"...God? What?" Kjal wondered, looking between them. Madoka glanced back at him with concern; well, so much for the cat in the bag.

Homura meanwhile was trying to keep herself steady; watching Madoka fight and possibly get hurt and not being able to do anything was one of her worst nightmares come to life. Her fists clenched and her teeth rubbed together; she _hated _this. All she could do was be a cheerleader.

The werewolf scoffed at Kjal, "Hah, they didn't even tell you when they hired you? This little girl is going to make us unsto-" his words were cut off when a blast of lightning zipped past Madoka and blasted the wolf's face. He snarled in anger and pain as he flinched away, "WHAT-"

In came Nagisa, hammer in hand. Behind her was Hoggvir, who stopped next to his husband, "We gotta talk about these kids".

Both turned to see Nagisa slamming her hammer's face into the werewolf's jaw. He grabbed and threw her back. Madoka intercepted though, catching Nagisa, "Are you alright?" she asked.

Nagisa nodded, unharmed but a bit uncomfortable considering who had caught her, "...Yeah. Uh...thanks".

"Don't mention it" Madoka replied cheerfully, unaware. Kjal and Hoggvir charged the monster, while Madoka caught sight of Mami joining the fray with Sayaka and Kyoko's battle against the other Breton. She stood at range with her magic stave, launching a flurry of electrical bolts, pinning the enemy while the other two girls moved in against him in tandem. It was clear he wasn't going to last much longer.

That just left the werewolf, who was currently proving himself a match for the two warriors.

"What should we do?" Nagisa asked Madoka.

Madoka thought. She didn't want to have to kill anyone today; she would if she absolutely had to, but it wasn't something she relished. Still, it was clear the werewolf wasn't going to listen to reason.

Well, it was a good thing she'd commissioned a few aces in the hole from the College, "Hang on" she said before she pulled another arrow from her quiver and then grabbed a bound scroll from a pocket and triggered the spell within. Acting quickly, she wrapped it around the arrow and aimed—she was on a timer, after all.

The arrow flew at the werewolf, landing itself right behind and below his left shoulder. The stinging impact enraged the beast and he turned towards the two girls...only for the scroll to finally activate and blow up in his face like a burst of pollen. The werewolf blinked, then staggered, almost like he was drunk, before finally keeling over. Both the Nords and Nagisa looked at Madoka in surprise.

Madoka blushed at the sudden attention and scratched the back of her head, "Remote sleeping spell. Something I picked up at the college" she giggled self-consciously.

Homura gave a relieved sigh—even more so as the Breton who Mami and the others had tag-teamed finally went down like an elephant under attack by a pack of smaller predators. She couldn't help but be proud of Madoka of course; as usual the girl was resourceful and quick-thinking. Graceful too; she hadn't lost a single step.

She was always far more graceful than herself.

It was always wonderful to see Madoka's warm confidence, and it had been something she'd sorely come to miss as the loops had gone on and Madoka became meeker and meeker. It was just unfortunate that it almost always led to her demise via self-sacrifice.

"Wow that went...way faster than I thought" Kyoko said as her group approached the others, a bemused smile on her face.

"Divide and conquer girls, divide and conquer" Mami replied with a satisfied look. She turned to Madoka, "Any idea where the shard is?"

Madoka looked around, feeling for the pull. It was definitely there but she couldn't—ah, there. Madoka made a straight path for the would-be campsite the Reach agents had been using. The other girls followed her expectantly, leaving the two Nords to give the other absolutely lost expressions. Madoka grabbed a pack and began to dig through it.

...And out came a crystal, slightly bigger than a large Tamrielic soul gem and glowing brightly. The ghost of a smile danced across Madoka's face as she knelt down to grab it and-

_Downtown Mitakihara at night, as the city's lights cast a peaceful atmosphere._

_The shopping mall bridge, glimmering in the morning sun._

_The lookout at sunset; the sky orange and red._

_The concert hall, where she took Sayaka's soul._

_The school rooftop at midday; a soft breeze rushes past._

_Madoka's homeroom class, as an irate Ms Saotome calls on Nakazawa, flustering the young man._

_Madoka's house; dad in the garden, mom sleeping off a hangover inside. Tatsuya laughing and playing._

"...Madoka?!" Sayaka's voice pulled Madoka back to the present and she inhaled sharply as reality crashed back down around her, "Madoka, are you okay?!" Sayaka knelt down next to the girl and gently gripped her shoulders.

Madoka nodded, then felt her cheek as she realized she was crying, "I..."

"What happened?" Mami asked, also worried.

"...I saw them" Madoka said as more tears began to flow, "I saw everyone".

Sayaka's eyes widened, "You mean..."

Madoka nodded, her smile growing as her eyes lit up, "...It's Mitakihara. All of it". It was real. She could do this.

_She could do this._

Sayaka let out a shuddering breath and Madoka gripped her in a tight reassuring hug.

"...Thank goodness" Mami said, kneeling down next to them in absolute relief. Nagisa seemed conflicted, while Kyoko was certainly more reserved, standing a bit further away with folded arms and a mild scowl on her face. Sayaka and Madoka let go of the other and the latter wrapped the crystal back up in the cloth that had fallen out with it—getting sucked into vibrant memories like that was nice but rather intense.

"So one down, a couple hundred trillion to go, right?" Sayaka joked wearily.

Madoka giggled, equally tired. She sighed as the weight of the numbers seemed to crash down on her. But it was like her mom had told her: one step of the problem at a time. Don't look at the whole problem, just work on it piece by piece. She gave Sayaka a reassuring look, "We'll do it, okay? We'll figure it out".

They had to figure it out.

Homura watched as Madoka rolled up the shard, guilt wrenching her stomach. She was trying so hard. She was doing so much, pushing herself so hard for this...and that was exactly why Homura had to stop her. Madoka was such a wonderful person, she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to be in this situation, and she didn't deserve what Homura was going to have to do to stop her.

Homura steeled herself; as she'd told herself many times before, she was far, _far_ past forgiveness or absolution. She was the incarnation of evil itself. She was the betrayer. In a perverse way it was freeing: she no longer had to worry about crossing that line, because she'd blown past it so many times before. Why bother stopping now? No regret, no remorse.

What a horrid monster she was; that shard contained Mitakihara, and here Homura was considering smashing the thing, taking away Madoka's home and family forever, the very reasons she'd betrayed her in the first place. Homura found herself literally caught between letting Madoka restore the world by sacrificing herself or delivering the killing blow to everyone and everything Madoka had ever loved.

What was she to do?

"So..." Kjal started hesitantly, glancing over at the comatose werewolf as Madoka put the shard in her own pack, "I'm starting to think we stepped in something we had no business getting involved in".

"What, did our constant warnings not tip you off?" Kyoko said with a raised eyebrow. The sarcasm was not missed.

Hoggvir nodded reluctantly with a sigh; a bit embarrassed to be honest, "We...apologize. You tried to warn us and we kept sticking our nose in where it didn't belong anyway. In our defense, how were we to know?"

Mami gave him a reassuring smile as she stood up, "If it makes you feel any better, I believe your presence is what helped shift this battle. It would have been a far tougher fight just five on four, so thank you for that".

"It's not that we didn't want help, it's just that, well...it's complicated. And dangerous" Sayaka said, "...And complicated".

"You already said complicated" Kyoko said.

"Well it is".

Madoka sighed as she and Sayaka stood up, "And kind of our own fault".

Kjal folded his arms, "...Who are you exactly?" he asked cautiously but still very curiously.

The girls all shared a look of uncertainty. Both Valtir and Wulf _had _warned them about telling people, and even before then they'd all kind of assumed they shouldn't considering just how outlandish the whole thing was. For not the first time Madoka kind of wished she was only having to deal with regular problems. She sighed again, once more reaching for that old chestnut, "It's...a long story. Very long".

"But oh so interesting once you get into it" said a calm, diplomatic voice coming from the chamber exit. Everyone's heads whipped around to see another Breton male in his late forties with long graying brown hair. He was dressed similarly to the others; furs, feathers, bones, but his was more substantial and armored, with bits of iron plate covering his shoulders, wrists, and boots. He wore a long dark cloak, and it was clear even from this distance that he wasn't quite human; his eyes shown faintly and his mouth bore fangs that were visible when he talked. "Apologies for the intrusion, though" his eyes tracked the scattered people on the ground disapprovingly, "I see you've already met my subordinates".

Everyone tensed at that and the weapons came back out, "_You're _the one who's been after us?!" Kyoko exclaimed and brandished her spear.

"Of a sorts" the man said evenly, hands behind his back, "There are many parties after you, most far worse than I" he bowed slightly at Madoka, "Madoka Kaname, a pleasure. I've been looking forward to finally meeting you".

Homura approached the man, recognizing him almost certainly as a vampire. So, this was the face of Madoka's pursuer. While that was worrying enough, what really had Homura's attention was the line about other parties being involved. Who? Where? How many?

She hated this. At least in the time loops, barring the occasional new interloper like Sayaka or Oriko (who she would quickly grow to adapt to in all subsequent loops anyway) all of her problems were old hat. She _knew _how to deal with the Incubators or Mami. Even if she wasn't successful, she intricately know the problems she faced. They were familiar. But here, now...she didn't know anything that was happening, she was working at a distance, and there were no do-overs. How could she protect Madoka if she didn't know who the threat was?

Madoka frowned, off-put by the man's demeanor. That false diplomacy, that self-assurance. It was a few too many shades of the Incubators, "...I really wish I could say the same. Who are you and why do you want the world shard?"

A faint smile danced across his lips and he began to pace gently, turning away from the door, "You may call me Ambroise. I am a vampire lord and a loyal son of The Reach, and I have been watching you for some time, Ms Kaname. As for your other question, who wouldn't want it? A million souls; think of how much power that would grant. But no, the world shard is but a consolation prize. Very useful, but not my ultimate goal".

"And what would that be?" Sayaka asked with a glare, taking up a protective position in front of Madoka. He wasn't getting anywhere close to Madoka if she had anything to say about it.

The vampire spread his arms out, showing no ill-will as his eyes locked with Madoka's "Why, the goddess herself, of course".

"Goddess? What goddess?" Hoggvir asked, perplexed. Kjal on the other hand turned to Madoka, as did the others. She grimaced.

Ambroise stopped at a bookshelf, sliding his finger along the shelf and picking up dust before looking back at them. He chuckled slightly, "You've been standing in her presence this whole time. Madoka Kaname, or...should I say the Law of Cycles? The Daedric Lord of Hope? Which title would you prefer?"

"'Kaname' is fine, thank you" the girl in question said coolly, now very perturbed and in a defensive position. Mami had taken up a guarding spot just ahead of her, alongside Sayaka. None of them were happy that this stranger apparently knew so much about them, never mind the fact that this man was the one whose underlings had poisoned Nagisa and tried to kill them all.

"You certainly seem to be well informed" Mami said warily.

The man's smile did not falter, "I have my sources".

Hoggvir blinked, having trouble processing the information, "The Lord of...what? I've never heard of a God of Hope before".

"The realms of Oblivion are infinite in scope, and the Mundus is only one small self-important part of creation. Did you really never consider that there may be many powerful entities out there that not only never cared to show themselves to us, but indeed never even knew we existed? Indeed, there are Princes out there whose concepts and spheres we don't even have names for. Ms Kaname's power however, we do know, and it has always trickled down to us, even if she didn't know it" he approached slightly but still kept a respectable distance when the girls warned him off, "But now, she has fallen from Oblivion and come to us to light our way in these troubled times".

"If you're asking for help, I'm willing to do what I can, but this...all of this, isn't okay" Madoka said, gesturing around to the battlefield. The werewolf let out a snore.

"My sincere apologies" Ambroise said with a smile, "My subordinates are...excitable, and by their account you caught them off-guard in Solitude. This isn't at all how I'd intended to meet; I'd simply wanted them to lure you here, away from Valtir and the rest of the Psijic Order so that we could talk honestly, without their interference".

"Then talk" Kyoko said, "Stop all this dancin' around shit and be straight with us".

Ambroise nodded, "Very well" he addressed Madoka directly, "Madoka Kaname, no doubt by now you have seen the sorry state Tamriel is in. Wars, plagues, division, decline. It is in desperate need of assistance. The Psijics would simply have you collect your 'world shards' as you call them and then pack your bags and leave, never to return. I believe that to be a mistake".

"Don't trust him" Kjal said, "He's a Reachman and a vampire, a bad combination in any form".

Madoka glanced at Kjal, then back at Ambroise, "...What exactly do you want from me?"

"I want you to help me bring a new age to Tamriel. Help me end the chaos and usher in a new dawn".

Homura scowled; she _definitely _did not like this man. Thankfully for her, it seemed that for once the other girls were all on the same page with her.

"Let me guess, this 'new dawn' ends with you in charge?" Sayaka asked. When Ambroise didn't immediately respond she knew she had her answer. Just another Demon, enforcing his will with stolen powers, "Madoka, he's just going to use you to get what he wants". Mami tightened her stance, and Kyoko stepped forward and readied herself as well; she knew which way the wind was blowing.

"Typical Reach" Kjal spat, "Claim oppression and then slaughter everyone in your path. At least the Elves are honest about their intentions".

Ambroise's face contorted into one of anger—possibly the first genuine emotion he'd shown this entire time, "And what do you know about oppression, Nord? I am over six hundred years old, and do you know what I've seen in that time? I watched Ulfric Stormcloak put my brethren to his sword. I watched the Silver-Blood family steal my people's land and work them to death in the mines. I watched all of you, Nord and Imperial alike as you washed over our lands in an orgy of violence like it was yours to ruin. I watched you stamp out our culture and religion, persecute us because we didn't worship your precious Divines. I watched you steal our children from us and raise them as your own to hate their own people. Even now you circle around us; Nord, Breton, Redguard, Orc; all of you like vultures waiting to strike".

"I'm sure your constant raids and wars of expansion in all directions has nothing to do with it" Hoggvir said.

"And the human sacrifice and cannibalism" Kjal smugly added, "Among other horrors".

"Typical Nord propaganda" Ambroise said in distaste, "Like everything else, you fear what you don't understand".

Madoka looked back and forth between the arguing parties, an increasingly worried and upset expression etched on her face, "I...I don't think this is something I can really help with" she told Ambroise sadly, "I can't fight a war for you. I'm sorry".

The vampire frowned, "You won't lift a finger to help?"

"I didn't say that" Madoka replied, "But I'm not a weapon. I can't just force myself on other people. They have to make that choice for themselves" she gave a ghost of a smile, "Otherwise it wouldn't be hope".

Ambroise sighed in resignation, "I see. Regrettable" with a wave of his hand, he cast a small spell over where the werewolf slept soundly. He snorted and began to wake up.

"Huh-wha-" he staggered to his feet, "...Oh, my lord" he bowed slightly at Ambroise's appearance.

The vampire nodded back, "Anton, if you would please. Keep the Nord trash busy while I...persuade our guests".

Anton growled with a hungry smile before leaping into the air and coming down on the two Companions. They and the girls rolled out of the way just before the werewolf impacted the stonework floor, cracking it where he'd landed. With a laugh, he charged Kjal and Hoggvir.

"You don't need to do this!" Madoka pleaded, turning back to Ambroise as the battle played out behind her, "Please!"

Ambroise's features seemed to shift, becoming more monstrous—longer fangs, hellishly glowing eyes, pale gaunt features, as he responded, "I had hoped to convince you through diplomacy. It may not look that way, but I do abhor violence. Sadly you leave me little choice; if you will not help me willingly, than I will just take your soul gems and save Tamriel myself".

The girls readied themselves, but Ambroise was _fast._ He simply charged past Sayaka, Mami, and Kyoko before they could do anything and took out Nagisa in a single blow before heading right for Madoka. Mami spun around and attempted to bind him with her chain, but he grabbed it and with superhuman strength yanked her forward, grabbing her by the face and dangling her above the ground before sending her flying into a pillar. The force was enough to crack the pillar and she landed in a heap a short distance away. The pillar meanwhile had been structurally compromised and began to give way, taking part of the ceiling with it. Debris collapsed all around the girls as they struggled to keep up with the vampire. Water then began to pour in from above, obviously drawn from the same underground source as the waterfall fountains on each side of the room.

Sayaka swung in, attempting to strike the vampire. As she would have hit flesh though his body melted away, replaced by a cloud of bats that swarmed around her. She managed to get off a scream of both terror and pain as the bats attacked, scratching and biting her. She swung wildly in a panic trying to get the bats off but to no avail.

A fireball erupted on the backside of the swarm, frying a few of the bats and triggering the rest to veer off in an arc, looping around towards the source of the attack: Kyoko. Realizing she'd made a mistake, Kyoko _ran, _planting herself onto the increasingly wet floor just as the bats zoomed overhead. Three arrows knocked out another three bats and the swarm again redirected itself at Madoka.

"Madoka, look out!" Sayaka warned, but it was too late. The bats again became Ambroise and he flew into Madoka before she could get another shot off, dragging her into the air and crashing her through another pillar at high speed. She bounced off a table and landed on her back as Ambroise again touched ground. He walked over, grabbing her by her ring hand. Behind them more of the roof began to cave in.

"If need be, I'll just take your whole hand" he said threateningly as a dazed Madoka tried to squirm free. He began to twist Madoka's wrist and she screamed as it felt like he was going to tear it right off her arm.

"Madoka!" Homura shouted helplessly as she rushed over, unable to do a single thing. No no no no _no no no no_

A series of ice spikes impacted Ambroise's backside and he staggered away, letting go of Madoka's hand.

"Get away from her!" Sayaka flew in with a rage, swords in hand. She never got close; with a single wave of his hand Sayaka found herself being lifted off the ground...and then pain burst across her entire body as if it was on fire. She struggled and screamed as Ambroise began to drain her of energy without even touching her.

"'Sup, shitbag?" Kyoko rushed in next, but Ambroise simply did the same to her with his other hand, letting go of Madoka.

Both girls writhed in pain as Ambroise chuckled, "Like lambs to a slaughter" he turned back to Madoka with a diplomatic smile, "You can make this end, you know. They don't have to suffer".

Madoka prepared to aim, but flinched in pain and realized too late her wrist was injured.

With a war cry Nagisa swung her war hammer from the side. Ambroise let go of Sayaka and Kyoko—they limply dropped into the water—and he grabbed the hammer in mid swing, throwing Nagisa around and landing her directly under him, preparing to strike down on her face with his boot.

That was when Madoka body-slammed him shoulder-first.

Mami stumbled back to the fight, clutching her side in pain as she leaned against a fallen pillar. That pain was forgotten when she saw the two girls laying in the now ankle-deep water in front of her though.

"Sayaka, Kyoko!"

Kyoko tried to pull herself up, but only got so far as an upright sitting position before she collapsed against the ruins of the pillar, "Okay...I am straight up not having a good time".

"You said it" Sayaka muttered, in a similar state of fatigue.

"...What did he _do_ to you?" Mami asked, crouching in front of them.

Sayaka shook her head, "I dunno he just...sucked our life force right out of us. Vampires, am I right?"

"Can you stand?"

Sayaka took a steadying breath and then tried, only for her legs to give out and drop her back down, "Uh...give us a minute".

Okay, so they were out of the fight. Mami looked over where Kjal and Hoggvir were fighting the werewolf. They had the upper hand but it wasn't over yet. On her other side Madoka was fighting like a wild animal, flailing madly in a desperate attempt to keep Ambroise off of her. She attempted a calming spell, but he easily deflected it with a ward.

"Nagisa!" she called to the young girl, currently watching the fight and not sure what to do. She turned at Mami's call, "Grab a potion and get Sayaka and Kyoko back on their feet! Do you remember that illusion spell you taught yourself back at the College?" a nod. "Good, we're going to need it". She turned back to Sayaka and Kyoko, "You two go help the Companions when you can" with that, Mami leaped back into the fray. She took her stave and fired off a volley of lighting blasts, two out of three hitting Ambroise in his side before she closed into melee range, tag-teaming with Madoka.

Nagisa pulled a potion out of her pocket and handed it to Kyoko. She drank half of it before handing the rest to Sayaka. They were still very weak, but both found they could at least stand again.

"Ready for this?" Sayaka wearily asked her companion as Nagisa headed off to help Mami.

Kyoko let out a half-laugh, "No. How we doing this?"

That...was a good question. Neither one of them had any stamina left to speak of and thus no staying power. Whatever they were going to do, it had to be quick and game-ending. Another bit of debris fell down from above, causing her to look up at the failing ceiling above as water continued to pour through. The pillar nearest the werewolf and the Companions was starting to buckle from the strain.

"...I have an idea, but you're not going to like it".

Kyoko followed her gaze and grimaced, "...You know I can't swim, right?"

Mami and Madoka's fight was going poorly. Madoka didn't have time to heal her wrist, meaning she couldn't use her bow, and Ambroise was fast and strong enough that he was more than a match for both girls together. Mami lashed out with her chain, which again Ambroise grabbed after the fourth strike and pulled. Mami was ready this time though, and she came in feet-first, landing a solid kick on the vampire. It wasn't enough though, and he quickly rebounded. His claws dug into Mami, tearing at her robes and puncturing her skin. She fell back with a yell.

He never got a chance to press his attack though. Sensing something coming up from behind, he turned and...oh, what in Oblivion?

A several-story tall black snake creature with a white clown face and a manic grin towered over Ambroise with terrifyingly sharp teeth. He barely had time to avoid a swing from its mighty tail before avoiding a strike from the head. Ambroise rolled out of the way, the snake-thing sliding around to strike from a different direction.

What on Nirn was this?!

...And then he realized.

"Ah" he said clearly, before casting dispel. Instantly the snake illusion vanished into nothing, only to be replaced by Nagisa flying at him. He caught her by the head of her hammer and left her dangling above the ground with a sheepish look on her face.

Madoka came from behind, her good hand wielding her short sword. He caught that too.

...And that was when a metal chain wrapped around his waist and both girls let go of their weapons and gained some distance.

Oh crap.

The next thing Ambroise knew he was being electrocuted, and then to add insult to injury was thrust into the air. Acting on instinct he let his body go, again turning into a flurry of bats as the chain fell away. The bats circled above the three girls (four, including Homura) angrily, a magical storm brewing as they flew faster and faster.

"Dodge!" Mami said in realization, just before the lightning bolts began to rain down. The girls rolled out of the way, and a moment later Ambroise returned to human form and touched down on the flooded ground again.

"Game's over, children" the vampire declared as he prepared to suck them dry with another vampiric draining spell, "I had wanted you intact, but all I really need are your soul gems. I'll-" he trailed off, his attention drawn to the sound of crashing pillar. Sure enough, a combined attack from Sayaka and Kyoko had shattered another pillar and it came down right on top of Anton, crushing him under the rubble.

...But that wasn't all; the room's architecture was finally compromised and a chain reaction began as more and more water began to pour steadily into the chamber. The ceiling began to bow and give way, and the remaining pillars began to buckle and break.

Mami's eyes widened in sudden primal fear, "EVERYONE, _RUN_!"

"NO!" Ambroise shouted, reaching for Madoka. He would not let his quarry get away! His haste was his undoing though, as it was at that moment Nagisa swung her hammer into a large chunk of debris that was coming down, slamming it right into the vampire. Ambroise was sent flying away into the storm of water and stone, leaving the girls and the two Companions to run as fast as possible for the exit. The entire chamber collapsed, almost around them, as the torrent rained down.

"SHIT!" Kyoko shouted; she and Sayaka were beginning to fall behind due to their exhaustion and now were more dodging rocks than escaping. Kjal and Hoggvir grabbed them and _ran_, making it out of the chamber right before the room completely imploded. No one stopped; even though the rest of the ruin didn't seem to be collapsing in its entirety, they still didn't want to risk anything especially as everything was still shaking and loose debris _was _still falling around themselves.

They didn't stop until they reached the night sky outside.

* * *

"I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure I can believe all this, even after what I saw. I don't mean to call you liars but...this is...wow" Kjal muttered, holding his head in utter disbelief while he sat down on the log. The group had established a makeshift campsite just outside the ruins while everyone recovered from the battle and the girls had spent most of that time filling the two Companions in on...well, everything. They'd mostly kept silent during the story, only speaking up to get clarifications on certain things when they were unclear, "I'm going to need some time to think about this".

Madoka Kaname was a Daedric Prince. She was a _god_. Her friends were...aspects, for lack of a better term. Hoggvir had compared it to the belief that dragons were literal shards of time; children of Akatosh. In that sense, these girls were literal bringers of hope, even if they didn't look like much.

It all lined up, despite the insanity of it all. The conversation they'd had with Ambroise and his subordinates, the fact they were all liches by some magic unknown to Nirn, their skills and abilities despite their assumed ages…

And of course, the glowing soul gem-like crystal in Madoka's lap. She'd been watching it almost religiously since sitting down. Kjal couldn't really blame her considering it was a fragment of her lost home town.

Hoggvir was currently looking Sayaka over with a cure disease spell; she'd gotten the worst of it out of everybody aside from Kyoko, and he'd wanted to make sure no one had contracted vampirism—best to be safe than sorry. Though once they'd heard the story he doubted any of them even _could _become a vampire; the fact that they were immortal undead liches already aside, vampirism meant ones soul was (with rare exception) claimed by Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement and these girls were clearly already claimed by (or were in fact shards of) an entirely different deity.

Madoka had first claim on all of them by default.

"If I hadn't touched that crystal, I wouldn't believe it either. Shor's bones; a Daedra in our midst. A _good _Daedra at that. Who would have thought?" Hoggvir said as Madoka fidgeted uncomfortably at the designation. He nodded at Sayaka, "You're clean". She smiled back and went back over to where Kyoko was. After settling down, Sayaka had asked to touch the crystal herself, and it had soon devolved into everyone getting a turn—as it turned out, it was a good way of proving to the Companions that their story was true by sending them into a world they had no context for.

"Now you know why we were being evasive" Madoka replied, "It wasn't personal, this is just...well, it's a mess".

"So what are your plans now?" Hoggvir asked.

"Honestly, we're not entirely sure. Originally we were going to take a ship from Solitude back to Winterhold, but now we're so far away it's almost as far to just keep going" Mami mused.

"Besides, who knows if there's more bad guys waiting to jump us on the way back to Solitude" Sayaka said, "I'd like to stay as far away from The Reach as possible, thank-you-very-much". She got a round of murmured agreements.

"Well, there's always Whiterun" Hoggvir offered, "We're headed back that way ourselves, and we'd be honored to ride back with you. From there you can head northeast back to Winterhold".

The girls all shared a look before Madoka spoke for them, "We'd be glad to, thank you".

"That leaves the question of what to do tonight" Mami said, "I don't really feel comfortable going back to Rorikstead".

"...Why not?" Kyoko asked.

Mami sighed, "Truth be told, we don't know if Ambroise had any backup in tow or not. Sticking around Rorikstead might just attract attention we don't want".

"...That's a good point. We don't want to put the town in danger" Sayaka replied.

Kyoko groaned in protest and flopped over, "So we paid for that room for nothing? Aaaaugh, I don't wanna sleep on the hard ground again!"

Mami giggled as she stood up, "Can't be helped, I'm afraid".

"I agree" said Madoka, "We can't risk letting the shard fall into anyone else's hands. If we set up camp far enough away we might be safer".

Kjal nodded thoughtfully, "I know a good spot about an hour away by horse. Did you girls bring horses with you?"

The girls again shared a look, a bit more awkward this time. Mami replied, "Er...no, we walked here. None of us actually know how to ride".

Kyoko shrugged, nonchalant, "I mean, I rode a guar back on Solstheim. It was easy enough".

Mami blinked in surprise, "...You never told me you knew how to ride animals".

"I don't. I mean, I was never taught. Is...is it supposed to be hard?" Kyoko asked as she sat back up, a bit more unsure of herself. Madoka and Sayaka gave each other uncomfortable knowing looks.

Hogvvir laughed, "Some people are naturals. Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll double-up; Kjal and I both brought horses, and I saw some horses tied up to a tree just down the road; I assume they're the ones the Reachemen brought with them. Kyoko can take one. We'll go back, grab any supplies we left at the inn, then beat it out of town before anyone comes looking".

"Sounds like a plan" Mami said cheerfully.

"...Wait, don't you need to get paid for your job?" Sayaka asked Kjal.

He smirked, "Nah, they paid upfront. We've got a bit of a permanent contract with Rorikstead. Though since the Ironhill Ruins aren't really a thing anymore, that might be changing".

"...Oh. Uh, sorry about that" Sayaka replied, embarrassed.

"For what? Closing up some dangerous ruins? Nah, we aren't hurting for work, and our real business is helping people anyway. You did good tonight".

"Uh...thanks" Sayaka said, a bit of warmth in her chest. She wasn't exactly used to getting those words, at least from someone who wasn't Madoka.

Whiterun. They were going to Whiterun. Homura breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the group get up and leave. She was about to follow, but then the nausea returned as the world seemed to shift and change around her. She hunched over, leaning against a large rock for stability until the moment passed.

Her first thought was that the spell was ending and she was returning to the real world. But then everything settled again and she realized she was still in the memory complete with blurry washed-out tones...it was just day now, though cloudy.

Why had she skipped forward?

The sound of grinding stone drew her attention back to the ruin entrance. There stood a nine foot tall black-furred minotaur in a mishmash of haphazard iron and fur armor with a skirt not entirely unlike the kind ancient Greek warriors would wear, a large golden nose-ring. He'd pulled the door open and was now helping someone out. Homura's expression turned to horror as she saw the male Breton dragging Ambroise out. Behind them the female carried the Orc in her arms.

"Your timing is impeccable as always, Esohaus" Ambroise said weakly to his entourage as he was sat down—he was soaked and battered, but he still drew breath. He wouldn't be if it hadn't been for his comrades; he and they had kept the ruins from crushing them with a collection of spells long enough to dig their way out.

He was six hundred years old; it would take far more than that to kill him.

Unfortunately, not all of his companions had made it out: the Orc, Mogazgur, was laid down on the ground, lifeless. Anton meanwhile, had been crushed by the column just before the chaos and his body hadn't been recoverable. Ambroise looked Mogazgur over with remorse, "You gave your all to the cause" he said sadly, "Rest well, old friend". Madoka would pay for this. He wondered which girls he'd force her to watch him kill.

"Now what?" the Breton male asked as he and the others encircled their lord.

Ambroise wasted no time, "Track the spell, then dispose of Mogazgur with honors".

The briarheart nodded and pinged the tracking spell Anton they'd placed on the cloth Anton had wrapped around the world shard. It of course was miles away by now, "South, along the main road. Towards Falkreath forest, maybe?"

Ambroise gave a grim smirk. He knew exactly where they were headed, "No, no. Remember, they had a pair of Companions with them. Prepare the horses. We're going to Whiterun".

Homura's eyes widened in terror for Madoka; she had no idea Ambroise was still coming for her. Homura had to get out. She had to warn her, she had to-

* * *

Homura sucked air into her lungs as reality suddenly and violently reasserted itself, coughing as she came to. Everything was clearer, more colorful. Also, she was on the ground. She hadn't been on the ground before she'd taken the potion.

...Had Theodor really just let her drink a potion that rendered her unconscious while standing up without warning her? Oh who was she kidding, of course he had.

She felt _really _dumb for not considering any of that before drinking.

"Welcome back!" the idiot in question said cheerfully. He sat next to a log, and all around him were...um…

…

...Homura really wondered if she should bother bringing up the fact that he was dressing up dead squirrels in fancy doll clothes and posing them as well-to-do society and where had he even gotten the doll stuff and NO NEVER MIND. She was in a hurry and didn't have time for this nonsense.

"Whiterun" she said hoarsely, "We need to go. _Now"._

"Why in such a rush?" he asked, getting up and leaving the squirrels where they stood. No, scratch that; he bent back down and rearranged one of them, then stood back up and forming his hands into the borders of a painting nodded with satisfaction.

"I'll explain on the way" Homura stated plainly in a tone that would allow for no disagreement as she got on the horse, "Put the dead rats down and follow".

"Fine, fine. Gah, no respect for art". Theodor mounted the horse in front of Homura, "Whiterun, you said?"

Homura's gaze looked over the amber fields of the plains and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Madoka was close; so close. She was out there and she needed help. Homura wouldn't fail this time; she _couldn't_ fail. Her face morphed into a determined and gritted expression as the wind of the open steppe dramatically brushed against her long hair.

"Correct".

"EEEUUURHURHURHURHURHURHURHUR" the horse sounded.

Sigh.


	15. 1x14: That's the problem with gods

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH GODS**

* * *

Mami awoke with a yawn. She was used to getting up early; after all, when living alone there was always much to do before school. Her habit had translated well in what had become her new life on the road, as she was almost always the first one up and always hard at work getting everything ready so the others were good to go when it was time to leave.

Today was no different. The barest glimpses of dawn could be seen hovering behind the mountains; pink mingling with dark blue in the sky. Everyone else was still asleep and Mami knew they'd be hungry when they got up.

First things first though; she really needed a bath, even as cold as it was out. They'd picked out a campsite near a stream, and she intended to take full advantage of it after three whole days of nothing. She grimaced as she pulled her hand through her knotted, dirty hair. The drills were long gone; she'd kept up appearances as long as possible but without easy soul magic or the wonders of modern technology her signature hairstyle had become unmanageable, and so these days she usually just did it up in a bun.

In a way, it kind of felt like everything about their old lives had been sanded down into nothing as they had increasingly few things to link them to Earth beyond memories. She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

She recalled, with a bit of a smile, her dad's form of 'camping it' by renting out a cabin once. Idly she wondered what he'd think about her roughing it now.

One advantage of waking up early was that Mami could afford to bath in peace and quiet, a moment of relaxation and introspection.

...Though not today, it seemed. As Mami pulled the branches of the bushes hiding the shore of the waterway aside she found Sayaka already up and leaning over the water, using it as a mirror as she cut her hair with a dagger; it had gotten a bit long over the past few weeks, and she was correcting that as best she could.

...As it turned out though, she was _not_ a hairstylist, and it looked like it was going to look fairly haphazard when she was done. She must have realized this, because the look on her face was one of frustration.

"It's hard to do it yourself. Trust me, I know".

Sayaka nearly jumped at Mami's sudden voice. The blonde giggled, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you".

Sayaka coughed, embarrassed, "No, no. You're fine. Just didn't expect anyone. I...didn't wake you, did I?"

Mami's brow arched as she knelt down next to Sayaka and gestured to her dagger. Her bath could wait, "It's just about dawn; I'm always up this early" she said as Sayaka handed her the weapon with a 'thank you' and Mami began to even out the girl's hair length, "Why are _you_ up though?"

Sayaka tensed, looking down at her reflection, "Oh, y'know. Just...thought I'd get an early start to the day".

Yeah, that didn't sound like a lie at all. Mami frowned, "...Sayaka, how much sleep did you get last night?"

Sayaka hesitated, confirming Mami's suspicions, "I...a few hours. I'm fine".

"Sayaka".

She sighed and relented, "...Four. Four and a half, maybe".

"...That's not healthy, Sayaka" Mami said with gentle concern. Sayaka had been getting less and less sleep per night as time had gone on and it was starting to show.

"I said I'm fine" Sayaka said with a reassuring laugh, "I don't even feel-" she yawned and Mami gave her a skeptical look. Sayaka's face fell, "...Please don't tell Madoka" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mami finished Sayaka's haircut and returned her dagger to her with a worried and perplexed look, "Why not? She would want to know".

"The others can't do anything about it" Sayaka replied, "And she's got more than enough to be worried about right now. I don't want to add to it. It's just bad dreams, anyway. I'll get over them eventually".

Truth be told, Sayaka was getting a bit worried. They'd started out as just the occasional stress dream about what the Demon had done to her—either the mindwipes or the wraith prison, or some other imagined horror she could see her inflicting...but they'd expanded as of late. The Demon still featured occasionally, but the frequency and scope of the nightmares had begun to spread out—last night for example had involved being devoured alive from the inside by a swarm of maggots that looked like Clara Dolls before they transformed into Octavia-shaped flies and she wasn't anywhere near ready to try and diagnose whatever the hell _that _was supposed to mean.

The night before that, she'd been drowning in a swamp. Or...in a vat of her own blood, maybe? It was unclear. Before that, she'd been torn apart by a pit of all her past selves' corpses.

...This _wasn't_ normal, was it?

She didn't want to think about it. She just didn't. As long as she was awake she didn't have to worry about them. Sayaka knew it wasn't a permanent solution, but she was too tired to care. Catch-22.

"Sayaka..." Mami pleaded, nudging Sayaka to turn and face her. She did—partially, at least.

"I refuse to be everyone's problem again" Sayaka said quietly, yet firmly. She then stood up, "I'm not a burden. I can deal with it myself. Please". She was slipping. She knew she was slipping and she couldn't seem to stop it. She was supposed to be better than this now.

Mami relented with a resigned sigh as she also got back up, "Remember that I'm always here if you want to talk. And you're not a burden".

Sayaka flashed her a tired smile, "Thanks. And thanks for helping with the hair mess. I would have just kept making it worse" she said, "I'll uh...let you take your bath now. Want me to put the tea on?"

Mami smiled gratefully, "If you would please, that would be wonderful. I'll be over shortly to help fix breakfast".

Sayaka gave her a thumbs up before wandering off and allowing Mami her privacy.

* * *

By the time Mami returned to the group most of them were up and the sun was creeping over the distant mountains. Kyoko was still sprawled out and dead to the world against all odds and Nagisa, while it was obvious she'd awoken at some point, was taking a morning nap against a log, a cup of tea within arm's length. Kjal was missing; likely he was off taking care of business somewhere, while Hoggvir was putting stuff away and loading up the horses. Madoka was curled up with a book. Sayaka handed Mami a cup of tea.

"Thank you" Mami said with a smile, "I'll get breakfast started".

"What'cha reading?" Sayaka asked, walking over to Madoka with her own cup. A grin formed, "More smut?" The would-be goddess composed herself enough that her blush was only somewhat noticeable as she scowled faintly at Sayaka. Sayaka's grin never left her face.

"It's a spellbook, actually" Madoka said, stretching a bit as she got more comfortable.

"Oh?" Sayaka sat down next to her and Madoka showed her the cover, "...Dawn's Wrath. Dang, you're going all in on the vengeful goddess bit, huh?"

Madoka frowned a bit at that but let it go; she knew Sayaka was just kidding, "I was just thinking about how that vampire tossed us around so easily. We fought him five on one and we just barely held our own. And he said..." she trailed off with worry.

"...There's more than just him after us" Sayaka said, her tone suddenly serious, "So what's this then?"

"A book with a collection of solar spells meant to weaken undead" Madoka replied, "Most of them are pretty high level, but I'm hoping I can figure out at least a couple of the easier ones".

Sayaka nodded in approval, then paused, "...Undead, huh? So...what about us?"

Madoka grimaced as she looked back down at the book, "I'd...rather not find out".

A loud snore from Kyoko drew their attention to the rather obnoxiously sleeping girl—her back almost impossibly curved backwards over the log like a snake. Sayaka looked on in bemusement; that _couldn't_ be comfortable, "...Speaking of, I guess I should go wake the dead".

Madoka chuckled as she returned to her book, "Good luck".

As Sayaka began her long, arduous task of waking her redheaded companion, Kjal returned refreshed and ready to go. He got a whiff of something and sniffed the air, "...What's that smell?"

"Breakfast" Mami said happily as she stirred the pot over the fire, "I'll be done soon".

"...What...is it, exactly?" he asked, leering suspiciously over at the strange concoction she was making.

"Stew. I still had some vegetables that needed to be used" she looked over at Madoka, "By the way, we'll need to resupply in Whiterun".

"That's fine" Madoka replied, "I...think we still have enough money, anyway".

"We might need to sleep on the side of the road an extra night or two" Mami said.

"Veggies?" Kjal repeated in distress, sticking his tongue out as a sign of displeasure, "For breakfast?"

Mami looked up at him sternly, "We have eaten nothing but meat for three entire days, we can all do with some greens. Heaven only knows how you two aren't malnourished".

Sayaka looked up from where she was still trying to wake Kyoko, "I like a good burger as much as the next girl, but I gotta say Skyrim really has me nostalgic for some classic Japanese cooking. Or at least some kind of distant other-world equivalent" she turned back to the lump of useless flesh that counted as her companion, "Come _on_, Kyoko. Breakfast is almost ready. Since when are you one to skip out on food?"

"Mmmmfgh" was the mumbled response. Sayaka rolled her eyes.

Mami laughed a bit at that. Truth be told, the trip to Whiterun was far more pleasant than the one to Rorikstead had been; the fact that they'd actually achieved their objective and weren't on a race against time was definitely part of it, but a lot of the tension that had been ratcheting up between the girls had if not dissipated then at least subsided for the time being. The reasons for this, as Mami saw it at least, were obvious.

For one, they'd _won_. Ambroise had been a hard fight for sure, but they'd unequivocally won. They had the Mitakihara shard, they weren't being actively hunted, and they'd won together. It was the best team exercise Mami could have hoped for.

The other reason was that Hoggvir and Kjal were around, and they were doing a fantastic of distracting everyone and keeping the cheer up. Alone the five of them might have descended back into quiet brooding, but now everyone had space and other people to talk to.

"Well luckily for everyone, we should make it back to Whiterun sometime tomorrow afternoon if we keep on schedule" Hoggvir said, coming over to smell Mami's cooking, "Ah, smells good".

"Thank you!" Mami replied happily as he sat down near the cooking fire, "It'll be ready soon".

"Food's ready?" Kyoko shot up, wide awake and ready to go.

Sayaka pulled back to avoid Kyoko inadvertently slamming her skull into her own and gave her a look of disbelieving exasperation, "Are you kidding me?!"

"Huh?" Kyoko asked, genuinely confused at Sayaka's reaction.

Sayaka groaned with a sag, "Never mind".

"Not yet, Kyoko" Mami replied. Kyoko grunted in irritation and fell back over.

"Hey, no! Stay awake!" Sayaka exclaimed.

Hoggvir watched the kids-who-weren't-actually-kids acting like kids, giving him a weird feeling. He turned to Mami, "So, interested in giving horse-riding a shot today?"

Mami tensed ever-so-slightly and gave a short nervous laugh.

* * *

"Woah, woah!" Mami called out as the horse she and Madoka were riding veered off the road, bucking and plodding about in aimless confusion. She yelped as the horse suddenly decided to charge forward then stopped.

"You're confusing her!" Kjal laughed, currently sitting behind Hoggvir on his own horse while Nagisa sat in front, "You need to be firm and consistent. Right now you're giving her conflicting signals!"

Mami tried to respond, uncharacteristically flustered and panicked, "I—how do I-"

Hoggvir sighed with a chuckle and rode over, grabbing Mami's horse gently by the reigns, calming the steed down, "You need to not panic, for one. At this point you're just egging her on".

Mami exhaled in both relief and disappointment, "...Sorry". As it turned out, she was _very_ uneasy about steering a large animal and was fairly out of her element, especially with everyone watching.

"Wow, something Mami _isn't_ good at" Kyoko grinned from her own horse, the one they'd 'acquired' from Ambroise's group, "Will wonders never cease!"

"...We all have our own strengths and weaknesses" Mami mumbled, embarrassed at being called out and clearly off-balance after her attempt.

Sayaka, currently riding with Kyoko, gently slapped the girl on her shoulder, "Aw, leave her alone. She's trying".

Kyoko flashed Sayaka a grin, "How about you? Wanna switch?"

"Hah, no" Sayaka said, tensing slightly at what was sure to be an unpleasant experience, "I'll leave the horse-riding to you".

"You'll never get better if you don't try!" Kyoko teased, "What's a knight without a horse?"

"Oh, that's easy, I've got you to chauffeur me around" Sayaka said with a wink. She began speaking in a really bad upper class accent and couldn't keep from cracking up, "Onward Jeeves, take me to Whiterun!" She _was _actually a little concerned about Kyoko's seeming mastery of horse riding, and a quick look at Madoka had told her she was equally concerned, likely for the same reason. Silently, Sayaka wondered if it was just a coincidence, or if something else was afoot. She made a mental note to keep an eye out. She'd keep an eye on Mami, too.

"...Jeeves?" Kyoko snorted in derision, even as it looked like she was barely holding back her own laughter.

"Sorry, would you prefer 'Winston'?"

"Just admit you're a coward and leave the bad jokes to me".

"So you admit they're bad jokes".

"I said _your_ jokes were bad".

Sayaka's brow raised mirthfully, "Okay hotshot. How's this: you teach me to ride a horse, and I'll teach you how to swim. Deal?"

Kyoko's expression took a slight panicked edge to it as she realized she'd just been outplayed. She resisted the urge to gulp. Water? Like, deep water? "Uh...heh...I mean, this time of year? It's pretty cold and we really don't have that much time and..."

"Oh, we both know you know how to warm up water" Sayaka said, not missing a beat, "What's wrong, Kyoko? _Chicken_?"

Kyoko cast a pleading look at Mami who only offered a displeased yet coy look, "Maybe next time you won't bite the hand that feeds you".

Chastened, Kyoko turned back to what could only be described as a very predatory Sayaka who _knew_ she'd just won, "...You used to be easier to rile up" Kyoko pouted. Sayaka gave her a playful push.

"Woah" Nagisa's awe-inspired voice caught everyone's attention, first to her and then in the direction she was looking with wide eyes. At first they wondered what she was so impressed at...and then they saw them.

Large elephants were lumbering across the steppe in the distance, covered in brown matted fur and armed with huge tusks.

Mammoths; a herd of them. One of them trumpeted as they slowly marched across the morning mist.

"Ah, a mammoth herd" Hoggvir said, noting the girls' slack jawed expressions, "Usually they're tended to by—ah, yes there they are" he pointed at the large spindly yet muscular humanoid creatures wearing the bare minimum of furs and carrying large clubs that were scattered among the lumbering herd, "A giant clan".

"First rule of giants; you don't mess with them, they don't mess with you" Kjal said, "...Usually. Sometimes a couple of them will get uppity and venture too close to town or village, and then we get called in".

"...Wow" Kyoko muttered, a bit breath-taken. This whole place really was some sort of Jurassic Park, wasn't it? Caveman giants, mammoths, the guar on Solstheim…

"So, wanna ride one of those?" Sayaka asked her.

Kyoko's face lit up, "Hell yeah I do!"

"Not those ones you don't" Kjal said, "Mammoths are notoriously ill-tempered and almost impossible to domesticate".

"'Almost'?" Mami asked. She and Madoka were having a much easier time now that Hoggvir was helping guide their reigns as they continued their journey.

Kjal shrugged, "I wouldn't really call war mammoths 'domesticated'. Court wizards mostly drug them with illusion-enchanted armor and then send them charging into the enemy with a team of archers on top".

"That sounds _awesome__"_ Kyoko said with a bit of glee as the group continued to watch the herd head westward, away from them.

"It's a good tactic, at least until the mammoth gets angry enough to charge back into friendly lines" said Kjal.

"Are you speaking from experience?" asked Nagisa.

Kjal laughed with a twinge of bitterness, "Ah, I was in the army about five years back, during the last war with the Reach. The Battle of the Broken Tower was...not a good day. Nearly cost us the war. Had Solitude not opened up a second front by striking down through Volskygge Pass while they had us pinned then the Reach probably would have broken out into the plains of Whiterun".

"Are you on about your war stories _again_?" Hoggvir asked with faux-exhasperation before addressing the group as a whole, "He does this every time. He thinks that because he was in a couple skirmishes he can regale every stranger he meets with epic yarns like he's an old man or something".

"At least I have 'epic yarns', Mr. 'I was busy clearing rats out of barns for a living!'" Kjal lobbed back.

Hoggvir snorted, "And somehow they get more and more elaborate every time you tell them".

"I think you of all people would appreciate the bardic tradition".

"And we both know for a fact you have never taken a bard class in your entire life".

Nagisa wilted a bit over having chosen the horse the married couple was bickering on. Maybe she should have ridden with Mami and Madoka after all.

Madoka leaned towards Mami and whispered, "It's like listening to Sayaka and Kyoko argue". Mami couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. The two girls in question remained unaware of Madoka's jab; as if to prove her point they were currently in their own little world, ribbing each other over something minor.

* * *

Just as Hoggvir had said, it was mid-afternoon the next day when they finally caught sight of Whiterun on the horizon; a tall, sharp hill in the middle of the great plain that, as they got closer, the girls realized most of it _wasn't_ a hill but rather a gigantic multilevel castle that towered like a line of skyscrapers, surrounded by a city divided into rings by thick stone walls, each one lower and closer to the plain than the last.

"Ah, Whiterun" Kjal said with a smile, "Home sweet home".

The group entered the gates, up the hill and into the windy, twisted streets that followed the curves of the rough terrain the city rested on. Brown and yellow houses that resembled fairy-tail cottages but with Viking-esque wood carvings jutted out at irregular angles, each sitting above the maze of streets via stone bases that made each one like an island. The sun beat down, halted only by the occasional pine tree. All around them were the sights and sounds of life; children playing, the errant chicken going about its business, a cart of wares pulled by a pair of Khajiit, smoke coming from a blacksmith's forge.

What was most interesting however, were the canals of flowing water that crossed through the city, flowing under the many bridges from the castle out to the walls.

It was so very different from Solitude; it was almost as large, but Whiterun felt far more homey.

"So, taking bets on how long it'll be before we get kicked out of this one" Kyoko said blandly.

"I'm sorry?" asked Hoggvir as the group moved their horses through the streets and up the steps as they arrived at the next ring of the city.

"The Reachmen got us in a lot of trouble in Solitude" Mami said, "They ambushed us and we had to fight them off in the middle of the street".

"Ha! I can imagine why the guards might throw you out after that" Kjal said.

"...Not our proudest moment" Sayaka said, rubbing the back of her head in slight embarrassment.

The group approached a large white tree with stunning pink foliage, standing tall in the center of a square. At first the girls thought it was blooming but then they remembered that no, it was autumn...and upon closer look they found the flowers were in fact 'just' leaves.

"And here we are" Kjal said proudly, pointing up to a large building down at the end of the street, looking down on the city from its hilltop. It was about as stereotypically Viking as one could ask for as it was essentially nothing more than an absolutely and impractically massive longboat flipped upside down and converted into a city building, "Jorrvaskr, the great hall of the Companions, and home sweet home".

Kyoko tilted her head, "...It's a boat".

Kjal laughed, "Jorrvaskr was one of the ships that first followed Ysgramor from Atmora to Skyrim thousands of years ago. Its crew drug it across Skyrim and established their mead hall here, on the future site of Whiterun".

"That boat's been there for over a thousand years?" Madoka asked, a bit amazed, "And it hasn't rotted?"

"I mean, we replace the wood as needed" Kjal replied.

"So it's not _actually_ the same boat" Kyoko said flatly, arms folded.

Kjal actually looked a bit flustered at that, "I...you..."

"It's a ship of Theseus problem" Mami said thoughtfully, "Which matters more, the continuity of the object or the material it's built from?"

Kyoko gave Mami a weird look, "...Huh?"

Mami sighed with slight amusement, shaking her head, "Never mind".

Kjal and Hoggvir began to make their way up the steps to Jorrvaskr when they realized they were no longer being followed. They turned back, seeing the girls all somewhat hesitant. Kyoko and Nagisa had begun to follow, but had also stopped while the others all seemed torn.

"What's wrong?" Hoggvir asked.

"...Yeah" Nagisa agreed in confusion, "Aren't we going to go inside?"

Sayaka, Madoka, and Mami all shared a troubled look, one which Kyoko seemed to suddenly grasp before Madoka spoke for them, "We would love to, we're just….concerned. We'd prefer to keep our true identities secret to as many people as possible if it's all the same to you. You understand".

"Yeah" Sayaka added, "If a bunch of kids go in there, people are going to start asking questions, like you guys did".

Kyoko frowned, her gaze shifting from her companions to the two Nords. She knew what explaining to an entire guild would entail and she wasn't keen on repeating the experience, "My soul gem's not a party trick".

"Ah" Hoggvir said, the Nords nodding in understanding, "Well, it's a good thing you're just distant cousins of mine stopping by, hm?"

A knowing smile crossed Mami's lips, "We're just on our way to meet up with our parents in Winterhold, right girls?" she asked the others, returning to their old alibi.

Sayaka snickered towards Madoka, "It's Akaviri tradition to walk across an entire continent, right?"

Kjal stopped to think about that one, "…Actually, it...might be..."

Together the group entered the sailing ship turned guild hall. One word for it: rustic. It was kind of like those old-timey hunting halls, built out of wood and lined with stuffed animal heads. Iron chandeliers covered in stag antlers lit the cozy yet large mead hall which was lined with wooden tables and chairs, all surrounding a central raging fire pit while the boat's hull rose up above them. Red and gold were the colors of choice, with rugs, banners, and sashes decorating the stone floor and wooden pillars. The hall was filled with people; mostly Nords and Bretons, but the girls caught sight of a small handful of Dunmer, Orcs, and even a Khajiit sparring with a Redguard over in the corner.

What caught Kyoko and Nagisa's attention though, was the nearly endless amount of food set on the tables.

"No...no!" Mami said gently, grabbing Nagisa by the shoulder as she almost seemed drawn to the smell on an instinctual, primal level. Kyoko merely stood there, mouth watering. After weeks of travel rations and what little they could afford at village inns, it was like stepping foot into heaven.

"Oh...ew, you're drooling" Sayaka said, recoiling from her.

Hoggvir and Kjal couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. "Let's get you set up".

"Hoggvir, Kjal!" an elderly yet tough-looking female Nord with long snow-white hair approached the group, "Back from Rorikstead so soon! And who are these kids?"

Hoggvir provided the introductions, "Ah, girls, meet Ittir Stonehand, Harbinger of the Companions. Ittir, these are…extended family of mine. We ran into each other in Rorikstead and decided to accompany each other back".

"We're on our way to Winterhold" Mami added.

"Just a bunch of kids? Alone?" Ittir asked, concerned.

"It's a long story" Madoka said, "Don't worry, we're okay".

"I can vouch for them" Hoggvir said, "They can take care of themselves. It's kind of an Akaviri tradition, apparently. Anyway, we were hoping they could spend a night or two to rest up and resupply. I couldn't just ignore family".

Ittir looked over the girls, then back at her guild-mates with a shrug, "What do I care? I'm the Harbinger, not your mother. You know where the guest rooms are. Make sure they don't break anything".

"A pleasure as always, Ittir" Hoggvir said gladly.

The old woman gave him a knowing smirk. Just then a crashing noise was heard, as the Khajiit threw an obviously drunk Redguard into a now-shattered table. Also drunk, the Khajiit wobbled and fell over backwards.

"...If you'll excuse me" Ittir turned to the two fighters, "Hey! What did I tell you idiots about property damage?!"

"Harbinger?" Madoka asked.

"Technically no one leads the Companions" Hoggvir said, "But in reality we all kind of listen to the Harbinger. Ittir's a tough old lady" as if to punctuate his point, they could now see her pulling the offenders away like punished schoolchildren. "Anyway, how about dinner?"

"FINALLY" Nagisa exclaimed. Kyoko hadn't even bothered; halfway through the conversation she had already left the group to go fill up her plate. The other girls watched her as she basically inhaled a chicken leg whole and spit out the bones.

"Might as well. I _am_ famished" Mami said as the gaggle of would-be schoolgirls began to shift closer to the food tables, "Everyone please remember our cover story. Don't bring undue attention to us".

* * *

The drunken Orc lay over the table, thoroughly beaten.

"YEAH!" Kyoko shouted triumphantly as she slammed her elbow on the table, her hand ready to grip the next contender. Her teeth messily tore into a drumstick, "WHO ELSE WANTS A GO!?"

Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka watched her with bemusement from across the table. Mami shrugged, "Well, at least she's having fun" she looked over at Nagisa, "...Are you alright?"

The girl in question was in a self-induced food coma, her head face-first in a half-eaten sweetroll.

"Mrrrrr" she mumbled, half-conscious. Her only regret was that she couldn't finish the existing pastry, as much as she continued to try.

* * *

The beds were soft and warm, which all of the girls appreciated heavily. Even more-so was the fact that they were _actual_ beds and not just frames filled with straw like in most inns. These were real honest-to-god mattresses and blankets and pillows.

_Holy shit._

It was ultimately decided that the girls would stick around for another day. While the task ahead of them was still of unimaginable scope, for the first time since leaving Winterhold they weren't really pressed for time and truth be told they _needed _a break. All of them were exhausted from well over a week of what was effectively a forced march, the fight with the vampire, and just the stress of _everything_. They also needed to resupply; thankfully they'd gotten a boon from Kjal and Hoggvir. The two Nords had insisted on paying them for part of the Rorikstead job despite the girls' protestations. In the end though they acquiesced; they really needed the money.

That meant the next day was a shopping day.

Mami walked the food stands of the market in the lower ring (the 'Plains District', as it had been called), shepherding Kyoko and Nagisa along with her.

"Ugh, more vegetables?" Nagisa stuck her tongue out in disgust as Mami picked through the produce.

"They're good for you" Mami said as she paid the vendor, "They'll keep you healthy and help you grow up strong".

Nagisa gave her a _look_, "I'm an immortal psychopomp".

"Psychowhat?" Kyoko asked, "Nevermind. Can we not with the big fancy words today?"

The other two ignored her. Mami replied to Nagisa as they made their way to the next stall, "Doesn't matter, it's still good for you".

Nagisa's response was succinct and exactly what one would expect from a nine year old immortal or not, "Blech".

The group continued their shopping which was really just Mami running errands while the other two tagged along. Madoka had left to run her own errands and had taken Sayaka with her, allowing Kyoko to test the waters a bit.

"...So where do you think we're going after we get back to Winterhold?" she asked Mami nonchalantly.

Mami shrugged, "Wherever Valtir and Madoka need us, I suppose". Truth be told, she hadn't really thought about it. They had one shard, containing one city out of what, thousands on Earth? Hundreds of thousands? And that was just Earth. She had no way of knowing just how big their universe had been or how densely populated it was, but Sayaka, Madoka, and Nagisa had all alluded to the fact that they were rather large numbers...and that wasn't even counting what Madoka had once referred to as 'quantum variations'. Other timelines.

They were going to be at this for a very, _very_ long time unless something changed.

"Yay, more endless wandering" Kyoko cheered with false enthusiasm.

Mami looked at her oddly, "...Is something wrong?"

"Who me? Nah, nothing's wrong. Just wondering how long we're going to keep doing this song and dance, I guess".

Mami frowned, stopping. She'd known Kyoko long enough to know when she was dancing around a subject—both forward in her way yet not completely willing to pull the trigger, "...What's actually bothering you, Kyoko?"

Kyoko frowned, still torn because as blunt as she was, she also knew that something once said couldn't be taken back. Ultimately, she decided to go for it, "Why are we here?" she asked finally, "Why are we all wrapped up in this?"

Mami sighed; this again, "Kyoko..."

"We're kids, Mami. I didn't sign up for all this god crap".

"You know why" Mami said.

"No, I really don't" Kyoko replied, "This really has nothing to do with us".

Mami gave her a skeptical look, "So you'd leave Sayaka to pick up the pieces alone?"

Kyoko swung around Mami, taking up a position ahead of her while walking backwards, "Sayaka doesn't belong here either! We're _free,_ Mami" she held up her pristine crimson soul gem as proof, "We don't have to play this game anymore. Let the 'goddesses' hash their shit out; leave the rest of us the hell alone".

Mami eyed her as they stopped, "...You don't trust her".

Kyoko folded her arms defensively and leaned against a post, "Why should I? She shows up out of nowhere all nice and sweet and apparently all-knowing and suddenly Sayaka's acting like they're best pals and have known each other since forever. That's not suspicious?"

"She's the Law of Cycles" Mami said, "She saved all magical girls from their fate, including us. That hardly makes her like Kyubey".

Never-mind that this was coming from the girl who used to wear the rodent in question like a mascot, Kyoko thought. She snorted, rolling her eyes, "_Allegedly._ Whoopee, good to know I get rewarded with dying when my soul gem goes dark" she closed in on Mami imposingly, "So riddle me this: why do we care so much about trying to save _her _family when she just let ours die?"

Ah. So _this _was why Kyoko had been increasingly distant from Madoka. Mami felt for her, of course, but Kyoko was fighting the wrong battle here, "I don't think it works like that. Her wish was to erase witches, right? She became hope, not someone who could alter reality at her whim".

"How convenient. So if she had so much karma or whatever, why didn't she just make a better wish? Instead she just watched while we all got screwed over by bunnycat". For all Kyoko knew, that was her plan all along: souls were power, right? Their souls were bonded to the Law of Cycles via the Incubators' contract. Why _not _use the Incubators to solidify her position? How did she know she wasn't the one controlling the Incubators in the first place?

Mami didn't have an answer to Kyoko's outburst; it was actually a fair question that she hadn't really thought of. Maybe she'd just wished poorly, like any of them? Except Madoka seemed like an extraordinarily bright and clever woman, and the method behind the wish seemed to imply she'd carefully worked out every angle before wishing. Then again, Mami knew Madoka could also be somewhat...well, tunnel-visioned at times. Maybe she'd missed the forest for the trees, or maybe there was something Mami just didn't see.

Mami wasn't suddenly suspicious of Madoka; far from it. After the last several weeks, the pinkette had proven herself as far as Mami was concerned. In fact, she highly doubted Kyoko was nearly as suspicious as she claimed to be either; the real point of contention was just her sense of feeling cheated than anything else. The rest of it was just a spiral of her trying to convince herself. Maybe she and Sayaka had a lot in common after all.

"That's the problem with gods" Kyoko continued when Mami didn't provide a counterargument, the airs of righteous indignation vanishing and replaced by blase disappointment, "They take and take and take...and then when you actually need them they're nowhere to be found".

"And Homura?" Mami asked.

Kyoko turned away with a growl. She'd allied with Homura to get what she wanted, and all it did was prove her point, "...Well, you see where that got us. Suckered me real good. Stupid me for not following my own advice just because I thought we were friends".

Mami sighed, considering her words carefully, "For what it's worth, I don't think Madoka's perfect. But I do think she's honest, and I think she's trying. I trust her and Sayaka, and..." well honestly, it wasn't just about them, was it? It was about all the countless people they needed to save, "...I will do as I must, for the greater good".

Kyoko looked at her glumly, taking her weight off the post, "...What an awfully predictable Mami thing to say". So, she really was alone after all. Mami and herself together could have convinced Sayaka. Instead both of them were drinking the kool-aid and Kyoko was left feeling…

Insignificant, maybe? Puny? What even _was_ this? She felt like she was being hemmed in on all sides by entities that could erase her without a second thought, that saw her entire lifespan as a blip on the board, that saw her as nothing more than a pawn on some cosmic board. Sure she'd sided with Homura because hey, ignorance is bliss and once the mindwipes came back she wouldn't remember anyway but the more she thought about that the more she felt like she was about to get stepped on.

This was some twisted game she had no business being involved in.

Mami frowned with disapproval, "I understand that you're upset, but I would prefer if you didn't lash out at me. I'm your friend, Kyoko, not your enemy. I don't appreciate that".

Kyoko looked away and grumbled with reluctance, "...Sorry".

For the first time since their little argument had begun, Mami noticed they were missing a member of their party, "...Where's Nagisa?"

Kyoko blinked, also realizing the little girl had slipped out from under their nose, "...She was here a second ago. Weird".

"We have to find her. Nagisa?" Mami began to call out as panic began to seep in, "Nagisa!"

"Hey, hey" Kyoko cautioned her, "Trust me, she can take care of herself. I'm sure she'll find us when she wants to. If not, she knows where we're staying".

"She's a kid!"

"A kid who can bench-press a bus, maybe" Kyoko shrugged, "I'm just saying, you don't need to baby her so much. She's stronger than you think". Mami's shoulders sagged as the tension reluctantly rolled off her body, but the topic of conversation got Kyoko thinking, "Speaking of...is it just me, or has Nagisa been kinda broody lately? Like, Homura levels of broody?"

Mami looked at her with deepening concern, "...So it's not just me then. She's barely said a word since Winterhold and I'm worried. I've tried everything to get her to open up".

"I know Sayaka has beef with her, but it's almost like she's been ignoring everyone" Kyoko said sadly, "...I thought we were starting to build something after Solstheim". They had really bonded during their time alone when it had been them against the world, and Nagisa's cheerful and inquisitive nature had really kept Kyoko afloat during a rather dark time. But now there was no sign of that girl anymore.

Mami placed a comforting hand on Kyoko's shoulder, "We'll figure this all out".

Kyoko told her off with a stare, but didn't pull away from the contact "...Do you honestly believe that?"

"I _have_ to believe it" Mami said with a slight edge of desperation to her voice. She retracted her hand, "Or I don't know what I'd do. We need to stick together, all of us. Now more than ever".

Right then Nagisa came around the corner from another stall, her pack now hiding a few extra empty soul gems for practice later which she'd bought with some of her share of the money.

Well, that and a large block of mammoth cheese. She was going to eat _all of it._

"Nagisa, there you are!" Mami said thankfully, "You really shouldn't wander off without letting people know".

"Where'd you go anyway?" Kyoko asked, curious.

Nagisa shrugged, "Just...window shopping. Are we done yet?"

Mami looked at her nearly-full basket, then considered getting something the other girls would really enjoy for dinner...before remembering that they were going back to the Companion's guildhall that night anyway, so indulging would be a bit of a waste right now.

"...Just about I think, yes" Mami said. She shook off the remnants of the unsettlement she felt from her conversation with Kyoko and resumed her usual facade, "Shall we see what Madoka and Sayaka are up to?"

"...Where'd they go, anyway?" Kyoko asked as they headed further into the shopping district.

"Spells" Mami said, "Madoka said she wanted to find something that could combat vampires".

* * *

"You really don't miss them?"

"I mean...I guess? Don't get me wrong, I loved them and I'll be glad when we save everyone but...I guess I don't" Sayaka said, ruminating on her own words, "...Does that make me a bad person?"

The two girls spoke as they walked down the windy cobblestone street, passing by cottages and storefronts alike. As it turned out there was only one magic-specialty shop in all of Whiterun and it was on the other side of town—there were more than a few alchemy shops and apothecaries, but it seemed what they had been told was correct: Nords were not all too fond of magic.

Madoka shook her head with a reassuring look, "You're not a bad person, Sayaka. You've never been bad. I'm just...I assumed, I guess".

Sayaka shrugged self-consciously, "I dunno. I mean...I never had the relationship you had with your parents. Mine were never home, either at work or on business. And when they were well..." she frowned, trailing off. What was that old saying? 'Can't miss you if you're not gone'? Really Sayaka had always preferred it when she'd had the apartment to herself, at least then she wasn't being constantly hounded or judged. They'd never seen eye-to-eye; they were always wondering why she wasn't in any clubs, or telling her she needed to try harder with her studies even when she was already giving it her best, or asking her if she wasn't 'a little too old for that?', or straight up just asking her why she couldn't apply herself like her friends.

As if Sayaka could have ever realistically measured up to Hitomi. Or Madoka, for that matter. Or Mami. Or…

Okay, this was getting depressing.

She loved her parents, of course she did. They were her _parents_ and they only wanted what was best for her but at the same time...

Madoka noticed Sayaka's sudden pensive mood as they neared the shop, "...I'm sorry for asking".

Sayaka forced herself to cheer up, "What? No, it's fine. Besides, I'm the one who asked you". She'd caught Madoka looking at the world shard containing Mitakihara more than once. Of course Madoka missed them, why wouldn't she? Madoka's family was amazing, and deep down Sayaka had always been a bit envious.

The girls entered the magic shop, which immediately set itself apart from other stores by the clutter. It retained the fancy Whiterun wood carving aesthetic, especially among the doors and wooden pillars that supported the structure, but where other stores would be fairly clean and open this one was filled to the brim with shelves containing endless magical nicknacks arranged in haphazard ways. Soul gems rested in goblets and plates, shelves were overstuffed with old books, a handful of staves could be seen sticking out of a tall vase in the corner, and various alchemical ingredients were randomly hanging from the ceiling.

"Ah, welcome to Alwe's Mystical Emporium!" a young Altmer female said, excitedly stepping out from behind her counter, "Uh...Alwe's Mage Quarter? I'm still workshopping names..."

"Wait, is this place new?" Madoka asked.

"Er...sort of. I've been open for...five years or so..."

"Five years and you haven't come up with a name?" Sayaka asked in slight bafflement, "...Wait, is that why everyone we asked had a different name for your shop?"

Alwe chuckled nervously, "...That bad, huh? Maybe that's why business has been so slow..." she coughed, redirecting the conversation, "So what can I do for you?"

"We're looking for spells" Madoka explained, "Specifically ones effective against undead, like vampires".

"Ah, Restoration school!" Alwe said happily, "That's usually what most people buy here, so I keep a good stock. They're over there" she pointed to a far corner and Madoka and Sayaka began to head that way, "Let me know if you're looking for anything in particular! Oh, and please don't sample the merchandise. This place is all wood and one wrong thing and it goes up like a Dunmer funeral pyre".

"We'll be careful, thank you!" Madoka said. She and Sayaka pulled themselves over to the overstuffed shelves in the corner and began to look around.

Madoka wasn't done with their earlier conversation however. She glanced at Sayaka somewhat sadly, "...Do you miss Mitakihara at all?" she asked hesitantly.

Sayaka paused her search. She gave Madoka an incredulous look, "Hey, I never said I didn't want to save everyone!"

"...That's not what I asked" Madoka said with a wry look.

Sayaka looked uncertain, "...Why are you asking me?"

Why _was _she asking her this? Curiosity? Something more personal? She shrugged, "I'm sorry if I'm being too forward".

Sayaka sat down in a chair next to the bookcase as she thought to herself, "...I mean, I won't lie and say it wasn't nice to see Hitomi and Kyosuke again, despite...well, what happened". She tensed slightly.

"...But..." Madoka added, knowing that wasn't all.

"...It was fake" Sayaka said quietly after another but shorter pause, "Hollow. Even when mindwiped I just...couldn't". The Demon had tried her hardest to turn Sayaka back into that dumb vain girl who had gotten herself killed, but even then everything had felt off. Wrong, somehow. She couldn't be that person anymore. "I mean sure, I don't regret the life I had but...I meant what I said. Leaving Kyoko behind was the only real regret I had when I died".

She'd moved on.

"...Is that wrong?" Sayaka asked hesitantly.

Madoka shook her head with a sad but understanding smile, "No, not at all. I'm glad you found peace" the smile faded, "For a time at least".

"Ah, we'll get it back" Sayaka said, once again donning a cheerful mask, "Right?"

Madoka exhaled, letting the stress and darker and selfish thoughts out of her mind, "Yeah. Yeah, we will".

The two went back to searching and very soon found what they were looking for: a shelf full of books and scrolls dedicated to purification spells, as well as solar spells. They grabbed two tomes and a handful of fire-and-forget scrolls-mostly basic purification spells, but also one titled 'Aedric Spear' for Kyoko 'for kicks', in Sayaka's words, and left after paying for them.

Outside however, they found the rest of the group waiting for them.

"Oh, did we keep you waiting?" Madoka asked them.

Mami waved her off, "No, you're fine. We just got here. Are you done?"

Madoka held up her stock, "Yep! We're good to go"

"Oh, this one's for you" Sayaka said, taking one of Madoka's scrolls and tossing it at a surprised Kyoko. The redhead opened it up.

"…'Aedric Spear'?"

"A throw-able spear of light. Apparently it does a bunch of different things".

Kyoko looked it over with interest, "...Huh, neat".

"Excuse me...Madoka Kaname?" a male voice asked. The girls turned to see a Nord, barely an adult, standing before them with a sack of letters by his side.

Madoka tilted her head, "Yes?"

"Ah, thank the Nine" the courier said, relieved, "I've been looking all over for you. I've got a letter for you..." he searched his pack nervously, almost panicked even as he tried to hide it, "Uh...here, yeah. This is it" he handed Madoka a sealed letter, "Looks like that's it. Got to go!"

"Wait-" Madoka tried to ask, but the courier was already hurrying down the street, presumably to deliver more letters.

Sayaka squinted at his retreating form quizzically, "So that uh...that happened".

"What was his deal?" Kyoko asked. Sayaka shrugged.

"What's the letter say?" Mami asked Madoka curiously.

Madoka opened the letter up and began to read, "...It's from Valtir!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up as everyone else stood to attention, "He says he wants to meet us in...Valtheim?" a map slid out of the letter, "...Oh! It's just east of here. About a day and a half away".

"Yay" Kyoko sighed, "More walking".

* * *

Unbeknownst to the group, someone else was now watching them from the rooftop of a nearby building.

Homura sighed wistfully as she watched Madoka and her friends debate their next course of action. This was real. They were real. After weeks, nay well over a month at this point, of nothing but whispers and dreams...this was real. She was very glad she'd left Theodor several blocks back in the city—he'd said something about needing to buy cheese so she'd let him, blessedly allowing her the first moments to herself in forever. He couldn't ruin this moment.

The slightest of smiles danced on her lips.

Tension ebbed out of Homura; she had so much work ahead of her still, but for now at least, for this moment, she could pretend everything was going to be alright. Madoka was standing right down there, alive and well. She was smiling, happy. The others around her were joking and laughing.

...They really did get along better without her messing things up. But that was fine, she was fine being who she was. She was Madoka's shield, her guardian, her protector. A worthless good-for-nothing like her didn't need to be in the thick of things. She didn't-

Homura froze when Madoka suddenly looked right up in her direction. Homura was certain she'd hidden herself behind the roof and instinctively she went invisible. Madoka kept scanning the building with her eyes, suspicion plain on her face.

Had Madoka seen her somehow? Detected her in some other way? Could she do that? Homura could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Deciding to leave nothing to chance, Homura fled; sneaking away to find another vantage point. She dropped down behind the building and scurried away before she was tracked down.

"...Something wrong?" Sayaka asked Madoka, noting the girl's sudden preoccupation.

Madoka frowned, "...Could have sworn..." No, it couldn't have been.

Could it?

"Hm?" Mami asked her.

"Um...nothing" Madoka shook her head, "I just remembered actually, I need to go".

"Go where?" asked Sayaka in confusion.

Madoka gave her a flat look, "No I mean I need to _go"._

"Oh" Sayaka said, suddenly comprehending, "_Oh!_ Right, sorry".

"I'll be right back!" Madoka said, waving as she hurried off. Once out of sight she whirled around the side of the building, hoping beyond hope that maybe just...just maybe…

"...Homura?" she called out, hesitantly to the empty alleyway. She felt dumb already for even assuming but she was compelled. "Homura? Is that you?"

Silence.

"...I don't want to fight" she said sadly to the empty alleyway, "...I just want to talk. Please. I want to know you're okay".

Silence. Madoka's heart fell. Of course she wasn't there. What would the odds have been? With a heavy and reluctant sigh Madoka turned and left to rejoin the others. As soon as she was gone, Homura dropped down from the wooden awning she'd been hiding above a short distance away.

That had been close. Too close. Homura breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously crept around the building to follow her...then stopped when she heard a conversation a short distance away behind herself.

"...I did what you asked" came the courier's fearful voice. Homura snapped to attention.

"Excellent" came another familiar voice. Homura's blood froze. She stepped over a flowerbed and a small rock wall, down to a lower street. The voices were coming from behind another building. She leaned against it, peering around.

It was just as she feared; there stood the courier who had given Madoka the letter, cowering in fear of Ambroise who towered over him alongside his briarheart helper.

"Do they suspect anything?"

"N-no" the courier blurted out, "At least, I-I don't think so" he whimpered, "Can I go now?"

The cloaked vampire smiled, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. The courier flinched, "But of course. I am a fair man. You did as I required, and you did it adequately" Ambroise handed the shaking young man a small sack of gold, "Be on your way, child".

The courier hesitantly took the gold, stepped away in fear, and then _bolted_ out of sight as fast as he could.

The implications were clear; Ambroise was leading Madoka into a trap. She had to warn her somehow, had to-

Homura suddenly felt something painfully slam into her back. She went tumbling forward with a yelp, landing face-first into the cobblestone in front of Ambroise and his companion.

"Look what I found" the female Breton said coyly, walking around Homura to the others, "Someone's been snooping where they shouldn't have".

Ambroise walked up to Homura, kneeling down as she pulled herself up to a sitting position. He grabbed her by the chin, his own enhanced vampire strength enough to keep her in place as he got a good look, "Well, isn't this a surprise" Ambroise said curiously, "Homura Akemi, are you not? The long-missing piece of this puzzle reveals herself to us at last. I had wondered where you'd been hiding yourself".

She froze. He knew her. He knew who she was. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh, don't be so shocked" he said, pulling her to her feet, "Of course I know you. Madoka Kaname's shadow, the dark to her light, the gaps in her vision, the dark reflection of her grace" he let go and Homura stepped back, tensing as she prepared to fight.

Ambroise chuckled at her display of bravado. The other two Reachmen surrounded her. Homura grit her teeth; this was _bad_. Madoka had fought him five on one and barely survived, now she was fighting him alone and outnumbered.

Where the hell was Theodor when you needed him!?

"Child, there's no need for aggression" Ambroise said with a predatory smile, "I mean no harm. My name is Ambr-"

"I know who you are" Homura spat out, "And I know what you did at the ruins. Don't bother trying to deceive me".

"Ah" Ambroise's smile faded. He nodded in understanding, "An unfortunate series of events, though she left me little choice".

"I won't let you harm her" Homura said, a bit more impotently than she'd wished. She knew she only had one chance; she couldn't fight her way out so her only option was escape. Even as she made herself look to be prepared to fight, she began to cast her time-slow spell.

Unfortunately for her, the briarheart was already prepared and got the jump on her, swinging his hammer into her backside. Her timestop spell evaporated and she instead dodged the attack, managing to get a fireball off in the briarheart's face. With no time to pull out her bow she drew a single arrow from her quiver and sent it flying like a dart at the woman. She blocked with her magic stave, giving Homura the chance she needed to _run._

She again began to cast her time-slow spell; then Ambroise sent a fireball flying into her side. Homura gasped in pain at the unexpected strike, leaving her open to the briarheart's hammer, and she went down hard. The briarheart put his foot down on her back to keep her from moving.

"On the contrary" Ambroise said, opening his palm. Immediately Homura felt her entire body burst into raging, burning pain. She struggled to scream, but her lungs were empty as she began to feel everything drain away. Tendrils of energy flowed from her into Ambroise as he began to feed off her lifeforce and magic reserve, "I think you're going to lead me right to her".

Homura struggled to move. She had to counter attack, she had to escape. She needed to warn Madoka. She had to...had to…

"Do not worry" Ambroise said, "You will see your friends again very soon. I assure you".

She tried to crawl away, but every movement she made to struggle only made the pain worse and drained her further. Her body's energy was being ripped from her body and finally she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, her consciousness fading away into inky blackness.

Ambroise ceased his attack and walked over to her, kneeling down to ensure his prey was indeed incapacitated. Satisfied, he gently pulled her soul gem ring off her finger and pocketed it, placing it next to the actual letter from Valtir he'd confiscated from the courier and then stood back up. He turned to his companions, "Get her out of the city; quietly and without being seen".

"Where to?" the briarheart asked.

Ambroise smiled, "Where else? Madoka expects to find friends at Valtheim. Who are we to disappoint?"

Unbeknownst to them as they fled the scene, Sheogorath had been watching, invisible to all but still very much there. He pulled himself up from the lamp post he'd been leaning against with amusement.

This had been a bit unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome! After all, what was an adventure without a few surprises?

With a bit of a mad giggle he blissfully followed Ambroise's troop, eager to see how this was going to unfold.


	16. 1x15: We need not be enemies

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: WE NEED NOT BE ENEMIES**

* * *

Valtheim was a small Nord village of around two hundred and sixty-five people situated on the border between the kingdoms of Whiterun and Eastmarch. It straddled the White River at its most turbulent and chaotic and so while it wasn't safe for boats it was a very good location for catching salmon which was its main export. The town itself sat as a series of terraces along the rock wall of the small canyon, with Nord brick and wood buildings built into the side of the steep geography.

But the town's real claim to fame and the source of its tourism were the titular Valtheim Towers; twin ancient Nordic towers on each side of the river, linked by a single one-lane stone bridge with a central pillar supporting it. In times past they had been a perfect place for bandit groups to claim, but in the decades since the Civil War the Kingdom of Whiterun had seen fit to chase them out as the settlement below grew, seeing the pass as a prime defensive spot against the neighboring Eastmarch. Now the towers were home to a small contingent of Whiterun's military might. Ten men couldn't fight a battle, but they could at least provide the kingdom with an early warning system.

It was perfect for Ambroise's needs. Not too big, but still with enough people to make a mess.

...And a point of demonstration to the wayward goddess and her friends.

It was late at night when he arrived in town, as expected, and most of the village had settled in for the night. Ambroise made his way up to the tower and entered, making his way to the front desk where one of the few guards in the town who were on night duty looked up from his report he'd been writing under candlelight.

The guard looked up after noticing the visitor, "Oh, hello. Can I help you?"

Ambroise smiled.

Not a single soul woke the next morning.

* * *

Homura's return to consciousness was gradual and blurry.

What...what happen?

She'd been...doing something. Something had gone wrong, hadn't it? There'd been...oh no.

Her eyes shot open as she tried to move her arms and legs, only to find them bound. She herself was hanging against the cold stone wall, her feet half a meter off the ground and imprisoned together with cuffs. Her arms were stretched up above her, cuffed to chains and leaving her hanging. She struggled, hoping her enhanced strength would win her the day, but to no avail.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you. Our Master put a draining enchantment on those chains to dampen your strength and magic; didn't want you to get any ideas" said the briarheart. He was sitting in a chair ahead of her, reading a book nonchalantly. She found herself in a small stone room without a ceiling, exposed to the elements. It wasn't quite snowing, but it was certainly cold and the sky was whitish-grey.

It was true what he said; as she fully came to Homura realized just how empty she still felt. She tried to summon up a bit of magic, any magic…nothing. She looked up at her hand in frustration and…

...her ring was gone. Homura's blood froze and she gasped in dawning horror. They'd removed her ring. They'd taken her soul gem. Where was it? It couldn't have been too far, she was still alive.

"Ah, looking for this?" the briarheart pointed to a familiar violet and gold object sitting on the table next to him, alongside the rest of Homura's gear. She'd been stripped down to just her leather armor, "Don't panic, we're keeping good care of it. After all, it wouldn't help to harm the hostage before your friends arrive".

Madoka. _No._ Homura pulled again even as feeble as she was, "You—I won't let you-!"

"Now now Lesuin. It's not polite to taunt our guest" Ambroise's voice echoed as he entered the small room from the stairs below, "After all, she is going to help us remake reality".

"I'm not going to help you with anything" Homura said coldly, still weakly struggling.

Ambroise gracefully picked her soul gem up off the table, "Oh, I think you will. I can be very persuasive" he approached her and casually waved the gem near her face, just out of reach, "We'll see how much your tune changes once Madoka and the rest have surrendered to me".

Homura flashed him a deadly look, "I will kill you where you stand".

"I believe that's an empty threat" Ambroise stepped away, "Be happy, Homura Akemi. You are about to help me guide everyone into a newer, brighter age" gently he squeezed Homura's soul gem as he summoned a basic lightning spell to the tips of his fingers. Homura cried out as the pain reverberated through her body. His point made, he ceased his assault a few seconds later, leaving a drained and feeble Homura to catch her breath.

"Come" Ambroise said to Lesuin as he turned to leave, "Biene and Esohaus are almost done setting up, and Kaname could be here before the day is out". As Lesuin followed the vampire, Ambroise turned to Homura one last time, flashing her soul gem in his hand as a reminder that she was completely at his mercy. Then, with a few quick steps Homura was alone, chained to a wall and too exhausted to do anything more than make a token, forlorn struggle as she faintly pulled at her chains.

"..._No..."_

Again. She was going to be bait for Madoka _again. _It was just like the Incubators all over again except this time she couldn't fight back or even try and off herself to wreck Ambroise's plan. In fact, he literally had her life in the palm of his hands. He decided her fate. She had never felt this absolutely and utterly helpless, not even the first time Madoka saved her—it was one thing to contemplate killing yourself. It was completely another to have it taken out of your hands and dangled in front of you like a sword of Damocles.

She never should have come here. She should have stayed away. She really should have just thrown herself off the side of the Blades' temple at the start of all this and saved everyone the trouble.

Tears began to streak down her face as the faintest whimper sounded after a shuddering breath. A month and a half ago she had been the single most powerful entity in existence. Now she was nothing more than a bargaining chip.

She continued hanging there, quietly stewing in her own worthlessness until her soul gem was far enough away that Homura was at last graced with the bliss of temporary oblivion.

* * *

It was far _far_ later than the girls had intended to be out when they'd left Whiterun the day before. They'd said their good-byes to Kjal and Hoggvir and the rest of the Companions, thanked them for their hospitality and then been on their way. The idea had been to reach Valtheim by early afternoon on the second day.

It was definitely _not _early afternoon. How they'd gotten lost and accidentally headed southeast towards Guldun Rock for well over half a day before realizing they were climbing a mountain range that shouldn't have existed on their path and had to retrace their steps, they had no idea. It had caused no shortage of grief for everyone when they realized their error, thankfully there hadn't been really any fights over who was guilty—though Kyoko grumbled about it for the rest of the day, and everyone's general crankiness levels had definitely shot up a notch.

But finally however, they were nearing Valtheim hours after the sun had set and the stars had come out. Madoka and Mami kept the group illuminated with magelight spells, alternating so they had time to recover their magic.

"I think that's it up ahead" Sayaka said, pointing to lights just down the hill, flanking the ravine under the pass they found themselves in. Above, they could just make out the shape of a castle or fort or...something hanging above the town. Valtheim Towers.

They were here, at last.

Mami eyed her lightning staff. After their battle with Ambroise she had definitely felt the item's power decreased when she held the object. She knew why of course; she'd used a fair amount of power in the fight, flinging thunderbolts left and right. Charges on enchantments didn't last forever, eventually they would need to be replenished. It was something Mami had been dreading and largely choosing to ignore for as long as she could. Certainly she could just buy a few filled soul gems from the market in any town, but just the thought of using souls, even animal souls, as fuel for her powers was...well, it made her feel a bit too Incubator for her tastes. The others largely felt the same way, and while they hadn't really discussed the matter, none of the group were using soul gems.

...Which was why it was weird when, after they'd stopped for a bathroom break about two hours ago, when Mami returned and picked up her staff she found it was fully recharged. She'd asked around a bit of course; nothing judgmental, but definitely curious. Madoka and Sayaka had seemed a little distressed at the idea that one of their own was dabbling in 'Incubator magic', while Kyoko had simply shrugged, albeit a bit uneasily. Nagisa remained her sullen self, but put forth the hypothesis that maybe her own soul gem was recharging her staff on its own, even though they couldn't actively access its powers. It was as good a theory as any, considering that obviously none of them had done it, but still left Mami with more questions than answers.

"Mami".

"Hm?" the girl in question was pulled from her thoughts at Sayaka's call. She looked around at the faint outlines of the girls in the dark.

"It's uh...it's your turn for magelight" Madoka said apologetically.

"Oh, sorry!" Embarrassment crept over Mami's face before she lit their way again, "I wasn't paying attention".

Very soon they arrived at the town. Well, village really. No one was outside...not _entirely _surprising, considering how small the village was and how unearthly late it was.

"...Why do you think Valtir wanted to meet us in such a small town?" Sayaka asked as they made their way to the local inn, climbing down the staircases and ladders that divided up the town.

Kyoko looked at her, "I know, right? Why not just meet us in Whiterun? He obviously knew where we were".

Mami replied, "Maybe he knows something we don't".

"Think we were still being followed?" Sayaka asked her, suddenly a bit paranoid.

Mami frowned, "It's possible".

The group arrived at the inn, the largest building in town situated just off the main square of the village, halfway down the ravine. From here they could hear the raging rapids of the river below even if they couldn't see it in the dark.

Kyoko pulled the door open, "Well, let's get this over with. I just want some sleep".

It wasn't until they were inside the inn that the girls realized something was...off. The central fire was lit, the candles illuminated the tables, smells of cooking could be sensed, and the room was full of people. Except...none of the people were moving. There was no music playing, no conversation, no nothing.

...And then they noticed the blood. All the blood. The people were slouched over, some limply draped over tables while others were strung up like puppets to make them look like they were alive, even as the deep, ugly gashes in their flesh wept onto the floor; a mockery of daily life filling the room. Their deaths had not been peaceful as the horrified looks etched on their faces attested to.

The girls were surrounded by corpses. Dozens of corpses.

Eyes went wide as the they looked around in shock. It was Kyoko who first voiced their mounting horror, "...What the _hell_-"

Mami was on the ball, "...It's a trap! Everyone out!"

Too late; necromancer magic was already shifting and swirling around each of the former inhabitants of the small town, causing them to drag themselves to their feet, their movements still limp and shuffling. The exit was blocked; a group of the zombies were already in the way.

Sayaka drew her swords, "We're cut off!"

Kyoko stabbed a corpse that got too close with her spear as the group bunched up, back-to-back, "Why is it always zombies?!"

Mami looked for another exit, then decided to just make one, "Hang on ladies!" she aimed her staff at the nearest wall and then charged her attack. It began to pulse, brighter and brighter, until Mami decided it was good enough and sent the electrical blast flying at the brittle wooden wall. Tables and chairs splintered and the wall planks shattered, spiraling out into the cold darkness outside, "Move it, double-time!"

With Sayaka and Kyoko holding up a rearguard action while Madoka provided covering fire, the group quickly and rather efficiently pulled themselves out of the inn and onto the rocky ledge overseeing the next row of houses below.

"Everybody downhill. Kyoko, fireball!" Mami barked, pulling out her chain and locking it on a piece of the inn roof. With a heave she sent part of the building imploding on itself as the other girls hopped down to the next street. As ordered, Kyoko sent off a volley of flame projectiles, each one hitting home and igniting the wood and straw that made up the inn. It spread quickly, and the two girls shared a glance before hopping down the cliffside and rejoining the others.

...Unfortunately, it was not an escape.

"We got more problems down here!" Sayaka called out, slashing through more of the town's former inhabitants. Madoka backed her up with arrow fire, but as it turned out undead did not care too much about being shot. They just kept stumbling forward.

"...The entire town?!" Mami gasped in horror. All around them dead people approached, shuffling and decrepit. Men, women, children…

Nagisa swung her hammer into the village blacksmith, "We need another way out! The main road's cut off!"

Madoka looked behind her, now fairly well-illuminated by the blazing fire of what had once been an inn as it began to spread to other buildings—the street they were on turned into a pathway that led up the rocky slope to the closer of the two towers. "Up there!" The momentary distraction cost her; a zombie almost came down on her, but Madoka was quick enough that she was able to block with her bow before twisting it around and throwing the zombie to the ground. It wasn't enough to stop the former townslady from failing and grabbing at Madoka so she stepped back, allowing Sayaka to lop off the head when the zombie began to stand back up, at which point it collapsed into dust.

"Agreed!" Mami shouted, "Up to the tower, hurry!"

Up above them a number of the townsfolk burst through the walls of the burning inn, crawling out and on fire. They began to make their way down the cliff side.

Kyoko's eyes bulged at the hellish sight, "Shit!" She almost didn't even notice as Sayaka grabbed her hand until she pulled her along.

"Come on!"

Three town guards in full chainmail armor and yellow Whiterun regalia came down the path, equally uneven in their movement. The girls stopped in their tracks, even as the swarm of well over a hundred zombies began closing the distance behind them.

"We don't have time for this!" Sayaka shouted in exasperation.

Madoka's eyes narrowed as she pulled out a scroll. The guards lunged at them, swords in hand. Well, time to see if these were worth her money, "No, we don't".

* * *

From atop the far tower Ambroise watched the spectacle with grim anticipation. Next to him Biene was doing her job of controlling the hoard. She sat cross-legged on the cold wood floor, the Staff of Morric hovering before her as dark necromantic energy coursed along its form, dancing in the night air and casting an eerie green glow upon them. It was an old heirloom of sorts of Ambroise's, an ancient artifact he'd acquired a few centuries back. Morric had been an accomplished necromancer during the late First Era, having made a number of deals with Molag Bal, Namira, and Hermaeus Mora. His double-crossing schemes against the Daedric Princes had cost him in the end but his artifact, his magnum opus, remained behind as a powerful tool for raising the recently-dead en-mass. The downside of course was that it rapidly drained the user, meaning that Biene would not be able to keep this up for long.

Not that she needed to of course; everything was going just as planned.

The work had been tedious but worth it. They'd killed the guards first, one at a time so no one suspected anything while the village slept. Then they'd moved into the village itself, methodically taking care of each building so that there were no escapees.

"Holding up?" he asked Biene. She nodded wordlessly, continuing her work, though the vampire could tell she was starting to feel the strain. Satisfied, he returned to his vigil. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Madoka he preferred peace, but he also knew that sometimes you had to make a statement if you wanted to be respected. Tonight, he was doing just that and Madoka would listen: he did not take 'no' for an answer.

Soon. Very soon.

The area below momentarily lit up like day when Madoka unleashed one of her scrolls and a volley of three blazing orbs of light came down on the guards in front of her, incinerating them. Ah, she'd picked up Solar Barrage, and perhaps some other purifying spells while she was at it. He'd have to keep that in mind when it finally came time to fight her.

"...She's certainly adaptive. You must be so proud" he turned to Homura, who had been brought up, still in chains so that she could watch this. Homura struggled, unable to speak with the gag on her mouth, though a scowl was clearly plastered on her face.

Ambroise turned back to the fight and Homura slackened, watching helplessly as Madoka continued to flee from the encroaching hoard of reanimated bodies.

* * *

The girls left the burning remains of the guards in their wake, hurrying up the winding rock path to the first tower. Madoka let the others pass, taking up a rear position as she let a second volley of solar energy loose on the swarm behind them. Wordlessly, she followed the others into the tower, making sure to manage a few more headshots with her bow before entering—helped along by a well-placed shot from Mami's crossbow.

It wasn't that they were particularly tough opponents; with the exception of the guards almost none of them had weapons and unlike the various werewolves, hagravens, Dwemer robots, and vampires they'd faced, they were almost all baseline human and thus far weaker than the average magical girl. But being dead had its own advantages: wounds didn't slow them down, they were still more resilient than normal due to being uncaring about what happened to their own bodies, and there were a _lot_ of them.

They hadn't really had a moment to consider the implications yet either. Someone had done this intentionally, knowing they would be here. One question pondered in Madoka's mind: where was Valtir? She hadn't seen him in the zombie crowd, so she kept a faint hope he'd escaped some how. Then again, she doubted someone of his caliber would be taken down in such a way.

The tower wasn't big; it was just large enough to hold the girls as they headed from the side door to the main entrance where they'd be able to exit to the main road.

So, predictably, that was when the minotaur showed up, blocking the main exit. He wasn't a zombie, as far as the Quintet could tell, but he was armored in a hodgepodge of iron and leather, a haphazard assortment of material adorning his mighty form. An armored skirt reached down to his brown-furred knees, and two large horns rose out of the sides of his head just above his heavily-pierced ears. Instead of feet he had thick hooves, while his face was that of a bull, with a singular thick gold ring pierced in his nose. He was sweaty and unwashed, his scraggly fur rank with odor.

He swung his hammer at them, crashing through the old brick of the tower like it wasn't there. The girls pulled back—only to find the zombie hoard was quickly coming up the hill behind them.

Kyoko dodged another hammer blow before using the hammer's pole to vault herself so her foot could impact the side of the much larger minotaur's head. It was enough for the minotaur to stagger back slightly. She turned to the others while Nagisa followed up with a blow from her own hammer, "Anyone got any bright ideas?!"

Mami looked up—there was a staircase and...a bridge, wasn't there? That was right, she'd seen it on the way in. "Everyone, up the stairs! To the bridge!"

Kyoko dodged the minotaur, "Trapping yourself upstairs is the _worst_ choice you can make in a zombie apocalypse!" The minotaur's weapon got lodged in the wall, giving Sayaka a chance to roll over Kyoko and strike the monster in the eye with her sword. It roared in pain and gave the other three girls to begin making headway up the stairs.

"You have a zombie plan?"

"Course I have a zombie plan!" Kyoko pulled Sayaka aside as the hammer was lodged free and came down on them again. They attacked in-tandem, holding a rearguard action up the stairs until the zombies began to arrive. Once they arrived at the top of the stairs Sayaka summoned a freezing spell that closed off the hole to the lower floor. It wouldn't hold for long, but hopefully it would be long enough. They turned to follow the others.

"Grab as much stuff as you can, then barricade yourself in a defensible location and lay low" Sayaka said.

Kyoko shook her head, "You'd get found out by other looters eventually. Get out of the city. Rob a convenience store and get the hell of dodge; less bodies out in the countryside".

They flew up another staircase and exited out to the narrow stone bridge. "You really think you could get out of the city before you got swarmed? Without transportation? Mitakihara-Kazamino's pretty big" Sayaka said.

The conversation died there; the fire that was now consuming most of the village illuminated the dark churning water beneath them, until a short distance away it vanished under the endless abyss of a waterfall. Up ahead was the second tower, and on top they could see something glowing a sickly green.

...The same sickly green as the magic that had reanimated the corpses.

The girls' suspicions were confirmed when they saw the rest of the town's guards shuffle out of the far tower, guarding the entrance as they took up positions on their side of the bridge. Behind the Quintet the minotaur and the swarm of zombies trapped them on the bridge.

"...Knew going upstairs was a bad idea" Kyoko muttered, spear at the ready.

From above another figure dropped down onto the bridge in front of the guards, and a very familiar one at that.

"...So it was you guys all along" Sayaka noted with distaste at the briarheart as she brandished her swords, him standing before them with a predatory look and in full Reachmen regalia.

He laughed, "Who else could it be?"

And so the pieces all slid into place. Madoka eyed the carnage below with horror, then glared at the man, "...All these people. This town, everything. All to get at us?"

The briarheart paced, "Think of it as a demonstration of sorts of what happens when you try to resist".

Sayaka bared her teeth as her expression contorted into one of righteous anger, "You kill an entire village and you expect us to _cave?_"

"It was all a trap to begin with" Mami surmised, "Valtir never sent us a letter. You set this up from the beginning". Mami felt stupid for allowing them to corral her up here. She'd played right into their hands from the beginning.

"Not true. Valtir _did _send a message. Or tried to, at least. I think he's waiting for you in Riften. Too bad, really" the briarheart extended his hand, "Your soul gems, if you would please. You won't be harmed".

Nagisa turned back to Mami with a low voice, "...What do we do?"

Mami eyed Madoka. Madoka eyed Sayaka. Sayaka eyed Kyoko. Kyoko eyed Mami.

Mami's glare deepened, "...We fight. Kyoko, light them up!"

Knowing exactly what Mami was referring to, Kyoko flashed a wide grin as she pulled out the scroll Sayaka had given her in Whiterun. With a burst of light a long golden energy spear formed in her free hand and as it crackled with energy she sent it hurdling at the swarm of zombies behind them. It arced through the sky like a comet, before splintering. It rained spears of blazing light, impaling the undead and burning them from within.

Kyoko watched with fascination as the afflicted zombies began to burn away to ash, "...I gotta learn that spell for real".

With a snarl, the briarheart charged, hammer in hand as he swung down on the distracted redhead. Sayaka stepped in the way and crossed her swords against the hilt of his hammer, "Madoka, _now!"_

The fallen goddess was already on the job. She pulled her bow and loosed her arrow, striking the man in the shoulder. He staggered back and she followed it up with a second shot, this one aimed at his actual briarheart. The arrow ripped the pinecone-like artifact out of the hole in his chest and sent it hurdling into the dark. Immediately the man went slack, his eyes dulling before he toppled lifelessly over the edge of the bridge and into the river. The three girls looked on in mild shock.

"...Huh, guess he wasn't kidding about it being like our soul gems" Kyoko said, blinking in surprise.

On their other side, Mami was keeping the swarm of zombies away with her chain, helpfully electrified with a lightning spell Nagisa kept casting, "I could use some help!"

Kyoko and Sayaka prepared to leap back into the fray, but they never got the chance. The minotaur bounded into the fight, preparing to leap as approached the zombie hoard, his leg muscles tensing. Mami realized what he was doing a split second before he did it, but could do nothing but watch him kick off the stone beneath, his weight fracturing the bridge. The minotaur launched into the air, coming down right on top of the Quintet.

"Dodge!" Mami ordered. The girls rolled out of the way as the beast came down, smashing his hammer into the old stone. The force of impact shattered the integrity of the structure and immediately the girls felt the surface beneath them begin to shift. It was enough to knock some of the zombies off their already precarious balance, and a few of them began to tumble off the side.

"...Uh oh..." Sayaka eyed the raging rapids below, a sinking feeling of fear beginning to fill her gut. They were _far _too far away from the ends of the bridge for comfort.

Mami took quick stock of the situation; she and Kyoko were behind the minotaur, closer to the first tower, while Sayaka, Madoka, and Nagisa were in front of him, closer to the far tower. Another jolt hit as one of the bridge supports began to give way. The girls all stood up slowly, trying their best not to rock the suddenly fragile structure. The minotaur had no such issues as he stood up and raised his hammer for another attack. Before it came down the girls were already moving, but it was too late. The hammer impacted the already failing bridge and it began to crumble outright.

Madoka lost her balance; part of the ground she'd stepped on gave way. "Sayaka!" she managed to blurt out in sudden primal fear as she began to tumble, the instinctive kind that always wells up when things suddenly go wrong and you can't stop them.

Sayaka stopped and looked back as one of her best friends and boss went over the ledge, "Madoka!" Madoka managed to grab hold of the bridge, but the fragment she gripped also began to carve away. Sayaka doubled back and reached for her hand-

Madoka fell away, down into the inky black rapids below.

There was no hesitation, there was no wait. Sayaka performed a swan dive off the crumbling ledge into the water below.

Mami knew it was time to get off the bridge, "Kyoko!" The two grabbed each other as Mami jumped off the side, wrapping her chain around the bridge's support pillar and used the momentum to swing themselves around down towards a narrow sandy shoreline dead ahead. Both braced for what was sure to be a rather nasty impact. Mami let go of Kyoko at the last second, and the two girls tucked and rolled until they hit the rock wall of the ravine.

"Did...did we make it?" Kyoko managed to garble out as she forced herself to her feet, slightly unsteady. All she'd wanted was a hot meal and a nice bed.

She was fairly certain that wasn't happening at this point.

With a heavy THUMP the minotaur landed behind them on the sandbar shore and the two girls turned to see him approaching, rage in his now one eye.

* * *

Sayaka had never been a fantastic swimmer in life. Thankfully however, she'd since inherited Oktavia's aquatic grace for which she was incredibly grateful for at the moment. She impacted the water with her dive near Madoka's last known location and arced up back towards the surface in search of her friend.

There!

She caught sight of Madoka struggling against the current as she headed for a batch of jagged rocks.

Yeah, no. Not today.

Sayaka swam as fast as she could, using the current to her advantage and quickly closed the distance before grabbing hold of Madoka.

"Hang on!"

With Madoka under tow Sayaka found herself far less agile in the churning water, narrowly dodging one rock before cutting herself on another. No matter what though, she made it so that Madoka remained as untouched as possible, intentionally repositioning herself so that she slammed into a rock instead of Madoka.

"Sayaka!"

"I'm fine!"

...Wait, was the rushing noise getting louder? Sayaka wondered if it was just her, if it was like a concussion thing or...oh. Oh no. Oh _crap._

She'd forgotten about the waterfall.

Dead ahead the river ended and there was no escape. She tried to issue an apology to Madoka, but it was too late and the noise was too loud. Both girls gripped the other tighter and closed their eyes, bracing for the inevitable.

They went over the edge.

* * *

The minotaur charge Mami and Kyoko, hoping to gore them with his horns. It was a bad move; Kyoko used the opportunity swing herself over his horns and onto the back of his neck. Mami meanwhile had slid underneath his legs as they rushed by, before aiming her crossbow and firing at the back of his left knee. The attack was enough to bring the leg down, while Kyoko flipped her spear around and shoved it right into the back of the minotaur's neck. He roared, bucking and shifting wildly in an attempt to throw Kyoko off. Eventually it worked and Kyoko went flying.

Mami grabbed her with her chain, but before she could bring her down Kyoko shouted out "Fastball special!" Mami complied, redoubling her efforts and swinging Kyoko back towards the minotaur spear first. The force of impact was enough to impale the creature right under his ribcage as well as send them both flying into the rock wall.

With a heave Kyoko ripped her weapon out and jumped back. Ew; she'd have to clean her weapon real good later.

Wounded and dazed, the minotaur attempted to stagger to his feet even as the blood pooled out of him. He got two uneven steps forward before his legs gave out and he fell forwards, landing face first in the dirt. Kyoko breathed heavily as Mami approached her. The minotaur attempted one last feeble attempt at getting back up before it dropped back down, lifeless.

"Gettin' real tired of things bigger than me trying to wreck my shit" Kyoko said, then asked "...Where'd the others go?"

Mami glanced up at the former bridge, "...They fell off the side, I think. They must have gone..." she frowned, looking towards the sound of the raging water, "...Downstream". The implications were not pleasant.

Kyoko considered the fact that they'd likely gone over the waterfall. "SAYAKA?!" she shouted as loud as she could, hoping beyond hope that they _hadn't,_ "NAGISA!?"

Nothing. Not that they would have heard them over the falls anyway. Kyoko steeled herself; there wasn't any use panicking right now. Besides, Sayaka...Sayaka was a tough girl, and so was Nagisa. Magical girls were strong to be begin with, and they were stronger than most. They could survive a bad encounter with a waterfall.

She hoped.

Mami seemed to be having a similar internal pep talk and trying her hardest _not _to think about the possibility that one or more of the others could be dead, or that she and Kyoko could very well be the only two left standing, "...We need to find them. They probably need help".

As Mami began her trek down the cliff side Kyoko looked up at the broken bridge where Sayaka had vanished, then back at the abyss beyond the waterfall, "...You better not be dead again" she said morosely, trying to keep the dread in her stomach from rising, "I'll kick your ass if you are".

* * *

Ambroise was _not_ happy. Esohaus had been explicitly ordered to corral the girls, not crush the bridge and scatter them to the wind. Tonight was supposed to have been a demonstration, not a mission of extermination. But the minotaur had been in a blood rage by the time he'd gotten onto the bridge; one of the girls had evidently plucked out one of his eyes.

Well, now both Esohaus and Lesuin were dead and Ambroise's attempts at grandiose pageantry were dashed. He turned to Biene, who had by now let the staff cease its work as she was exhausted. She'd kept a handful of the zombies under her personal command, mostly the guards, but most of the hoard that hadn't succumbed to the bridge collapse or the town fire had finally been rendered inert, if not collapsed into dust entirely.

"...When you have a moment, have someone retrieve Esohaus's body. No use in having good parts go to waste" he said to his sole surviving party member. She nodded wordlessly, understanding the implications.

"What's the plan now?" she asked him, still recovering from her ordeal.

Ambroise let out a deep, tense sigh as he considered his options, "I'm going to need a messenger. But for now? Wait. After all..." he turned to the new arrivals; a pair of zombie guards dragged an unconscious Nagisa before him, "They'll be looking for their friend soon enough. Isn't that right Homura?" he glanced at the gagged and bound raven-haired girl who was giving him a deadly, hateful look, before he gently pulled Nagisa's ring off her hand and placed it with Homura's.

Two down, four to go.

* * *

Ambroise had left her alone quite some time ago, likely so that she could get some sleep. Wherever he was, it wasn't that far as Homura was still...well, 'alive'. That was a cold comfort, as she was still trapped, helpless, and entirely at the mercy of those who wanted to hurt Madoka.

Damn it all.

Was Madoka even still alive? She'd gone down with the bridge. Homura had seen Miki go down after her, but considering that girl's track record…

No. No, she wasn't going to entertain this. Madoka was still alive. Ambroise obviously thought so, so she did too.

Next to her rested Nagisa, equally chained up but unconscious. She'd been evidently knocked out during the bridge collapse and had yet to wake up. Homura assumed there had been a sleep spell involved.

...Nagisa didn't deserve this. Homura didn't know all that much about the younger girl, but she'd been so earnest and helpful during the short time they'd known each other, with a cheer that while not quite as bright as Madoka's had still been so very refreshing. Unlike Sayaka, Homura had never needed to mindwipe Nagisa or cut her off from the Law of Cycles; she'd been more than happy to play along from the beginning and so Homura had just let her be...at least until Homura had needed a few extra emotional cards to play to try and convert Mami near the end.

It had been a smart move, but part of Homura regretted getting her involved if this was where Nagisa would end up. This had nothing to do with her.

But then, that was Homura's curse no matter how much she'd tried to escape it, wasn't it? Every cycle, every do-over she ended up wrapping more and more people into her endless unyielding hell. Nagisa was just the latest in a long line stretching back to Madoka and Mami themselves.

Her thoughts were interrupted by something rather bulbous and awkward wander into the room from the small window opposite her. As it got closer Homura recognized it as a mudcrab of all things. Not just any mudcrab; this one carried with it a small leather satchel on its side. It approached Homura deliberately and with purpose before stopping right in front of her. She hung there, transfixed with bafflement at the incredibly unlikely sight as it began to rifle through its pack before finding what it was looking for. It pulled out a small two-pronged fork and then went around to Homura's backside and began to climb. She flinched with a surprised gasp as she felt the creature's legs dig in to her legs and back, but then it delivered the fork into her hands, which she grasped firmly.

It was bizarre, it was insane. But...the intentions were clear. And who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth?

"Um...thank you?" she told the crab awkwardly as it dropped back down to the ground and scurried back around to her front. She wasn't sure why it was here or...really, she wasn't sure _why_ in general, but that didn't mean she wasn't grateful. The crab's response was to simply put its claw up to its mouthparts.

"Shhh".

Its work done, the crab scurried away from the utterly perplexed teenager, out the small window it had entered from. As it was about to hop back outside, it turned around one last time and gave Homura a salute.

Huh. Sure, why not.

Homura fingered her new tool. She could feel a faint magical charge emanating from it, but what kind she couldn't say—it was weird actually, it was almost like the more she focused on it the harder it was to detect. Still, the reason for the fork was clear.

She began to file away at her chains.

* * *

_She was struggling for breath as she sank. Decrepit, rotting arms reached up from the black depths to grab her, grasping at her magical girl attire and cape and legs and tried to drag her back down. Something down in the inky quagmire below wanted her. She reached up at the distant surface of the water in terror as she was pulled down._

"Sayaka!"

_The Goddess's hand reached down like a lifeline and with desperate relief Sayaka grabbed it with all her might-_

She coughed violently, then opened her eyes and leaned up slightly. Madoka sat over her in the dark, a relieved look on her face, "Oh, thank goodness".

"...What happened?" Sayaka asked wearily as she clutched her forehead while Madoka helped her sit up. She found themselves in a small cave—more of a divot in a rock wall honestly, while the river rolled by outside. It was beginning to light up outside; dawn was here. It was gray and murky and very cold; almost snow but not quite.

"You took a waterfall for me" Madoka deadpanned.

Oh, right. Sayaka actually chuckled at that, "Eh...what are best friends for?"

Madoka huffed at her nonchalance, "Sayaka...honestly. You worried me".

Sayaka looked down, "...Sorry".

"...Don't think I'm not grateful" Madoka said softly, realizing she may have been a bit harsh. She really was touched that Sayaka had shielded her on the way down but...still. She shouldn't have.

Sayaka noted her armor was dry and that night was basically over. Her belongings were still drying though; Madoka had set up a small fire where her and Sayaka's bags had been emptied and the contents laid out, "...How long was I out?"

"A couple hours, I'm not sure exactly" Madoka replied, "Like I said, you worried me".

"Aw, I'm fine. Dumb and thick-headed, remember?" Sayaka knocked on her head as if to prove a point, but managed to hit a sensitive spot and flinched. Madoka gave her a _look_, so Sayaka changed the subject as she rubbed the spot, "Any idea where the others landed?"

"I saw Mami grapple them down while I was falling. Knowing her, they're probably already looking for us, actually".

"Assuming Ambroise's guys didn't get them" Sayaka frowned, "How'd they even escape, anyway? That whole Snow Elf place came down behind us. We basically dropped a mountain on him".

Madoka frowned in thought but didn't directly answer. "...They killed the entire village" she said with quiet horror, "Just to get to me. Hundreds of innocent people".

Sayaka stood up and stretched. That was something none of them had really had time to process; she herself hadn't really considered the implications. "They killed them and then just turned them all into zombies. How do we even fight that?" She approached the exit of the cave, her back turned to Madoka as she gazed out at the hazy forest, deep in thought. The townsfolk had been _butchered, _and then turned into puppets for some maniac's sick game.

Madoka approached her "Now that you're awake, I would really like to track down the others and make sure everyone's okay".

"Ah, let me do it" Sayaka said, "I've already had some sleep, you could probably-"

"I don't think being knocked out from falling down a waterfall counts as 'sleeping'" Madoka countered.

Sayaka put her hands behind her head and leaned back, "The heck it doesn't! I feel fine. Besides, if they come here and find nobody, we'll just end up circling each other" Sayaka turned back towards her friend, "This way, we can broaden our search a bit without killing ourselves. Don't worry, I won't go too far".

"Better idea: keep talking all that hot air and let us find you" Kyoko's voice sounded from above. Both girls looked up just in time to see her leap down, a cocky grin on her face. She gave Sayaka a tight hug, "Been looking everywhere for you losers".

Mami dropped down behind her, relief on her face, "Thank goodness, we'd feared the worst".

"Ah, you know us" Sayaka said, "Can't keep us down".

Kyoko let go and gave her a flat look. She pointed at Sayaka, "Literally died in front of me" she pointed at Madoka, "Apparently _erased herself from existence"_. Sayaka scratched her head in embarrassment.

"How did you find us?" Madoka asked Mami.

Mami shrugged, "Luck, mostly. We've been combing the banks hoping you didn't go too far".

Kyoko gently punched Sayaka in the shoulder, "Can you guys believe you went like two whole kilometers before stopping? We thought we'd gone too far until we heard you talking".

"It...was not a fun swim" Madoka said with an awkward chuckle. She'd dragged Sayaka's body with her downstream, trying in vain to escape the fast current before she hit another waterfall, finally finding refuge in the bend the cave was at.

"...Where's Nagisa?" Mami asked. She hoped the girl wasn't hurt.

Madoka's stomach flipped, "...We thought she was with you".

"...Wait, she's not here?" Kyoko gasped, "But then..." she trailed off as realization struck. Mami had a look of fear.

"...She was still on the bridge" Madoka said softly in shock. They'd left her behind with an enemy force. Even Sayaka's brow furrowed in dismay.

"I assure you, she's perfectly fine". The girls spun around at the sound of Ambroise's voice, weapons and spells drawn and ready. But before them stood not Ambroise, but rather one of the townsfolk, a Nord male in his mid-thirties slouched over unnaturally and with glowing eyes. "I am glad you're all well; I hadn't intended for Esohaus to destroy the bridge. That was my mistake".

"...You" Sayaka growled at the interloper as she stepped forward, "Let go of him!"

"This vessel is but an empty husk" the man said, "He died valiantly protecting his family, but he is no longer with us. You need not be concerned with his fate. Be more concerned about the fates of those who are not yet decided, and which rest upon your choices here today".

Mami stepped up next to Sayaka, "Perhaps you should state what you mean directly, instead of veiled threats".

The corpse smiled, "Last night was a demonstration. No matter where you go or what you do, I will be there. Any town or village you visit, I will not hesitate to annihilate if it means getting closer to you. Any people you involve yourselves with will pay the price for your defiance".

"I thought you said you didn't like violence" Madoka said with a glare.

"I don't; that doesn't mean I don't know how to inflict it to achieve results. I don't wish to carve a bloody swath through Skyrim, but I will if it means your capitulation" he paused, "Besides, they were just Nords anyway".

"You're crazy if you think we'll do whatever you want" Sayaka spat. Mami and Kyoko both brandished their weapons, "Maybe we should just come up to that little tower of yours and take care of you now".

"Yeah, your weird pine-cone-heart guy and the minotaur are dead as a doornail. How many more minions you got laying around? I bet you're running thin by now" Kyoko added.

"I believe that would be a mistake on your part" said the corpse with a knowing smirk, "After all, aren't you worried about your friends?"

The united facade of bravado broke between Kyoko, Sayaka, and Mami as hesitation washed over them—he could certainly hurt Nagisa. Madoka however, focused on his particular choice of words.

"...Friends?" she repeated numbly, making sure she'd heard right. Hope against hope.

The corpse nodded, "That's right. Nagisa Momoe, and Homura Akemi".

Madoka's face went pale and her voice was small and weak, "...Homura?" It was like a ghost had just come back into her life. She'd spent so much time hoping, praying, but never really knowing if…

"I found her in Whiterun. I think she had been following you" the corpse said. Madoka gasped; so it _had _been her! To think she'd been so close, and none of this would have had to happen. Ambroise wasn't done though, "I have both Nagisa and Homura's soul gems in my hand as we speak. Attack me, defy me in any way, and I will not hesitate to crush them".

"...You wouldn't!" Madoka cried, "You can't!"

"I'll admit, I'd prefer to have all of you. Homura in particular would be extremely useful and makes for a convenient backup plan, but I will do what I must if it means having you" he looked over the stunned and conflicted group. Yes, this would satisfy, "I will be waiting in the main courtyard of what used to be Valtheim. I will give you one hour to surrender yourselves, your soul gems, and your world shard. If you don't, Nagisa Momoe will die. An hour after that, Homura Akemi will follow suit. And then? I will make Tamriel howl until you submit".

Mami spoke up, "Can you give us some time to think it over, at least?"

"I'm afraid not. I can't risk you formulating some ill-advised rescue attempt" said the corpse, "One hour; that should be enough time for you to return here" he smiled, "Do not fret; I do not wish you harm. Join my cause, and I will ensure you will want for nothing. We need not be enemies". With that the corpse lost the light in its eyes and it dropped to the ground in a heap, lifeless. The girls stared down at it as a mixture of confusion, panic, and fear washed over them.

Madoka put her hands over her mouth, shaking a bit at the thoughts rolling through her head. He had Homura. He was going to _kill _both her and Nagisa and then...and then so many other people.

She really had only one course ahead of her. Silently she turned to walk out of the cave, but Sayaka saw this immediately and stepped in her path, "...What do you think you're doing?"

"Sayaka, please don't do this".

"What? Stop you from making a mistake?" Sayaka asked evenly, but with an edge to her voice. Like she was just going to let Madoka willingly give herself up to the bad guys, please.

Madoka tried to sidestep Sayaka, "I know you don't like Homura-"

Sayaka interjected, "You're damn right I don't!"

Madoka spoke over her, trying to head off Sayaka's temper, "And you have a right to be angry at her. But-"

Sayaka cut her off, continuing her train of thought, "What I _don't_ get is how you still can! What's it going to take for you to finally say enough is enough and cut your losses?" She was starting to get angry despite herself and her voice was rising. Sayaka thought she'd been very patient, but this? Give up Madoka for the demon? Give up their mission for the demon? Give up her own soul gem for the damn _demon_?

_No. _This was her line in the sand. She'd gone on a rescue mission for the demon once before. Never again.

"Sayaka, please!"

"How many times does she have to make things worse before you finally figure it out? How many times does she have to betray us? How many worlds does she have to end?" She was yelling at Madoka and she shouldn't be but now that she'd started she couldn't stop. Her fists tightened.

"That's not-" That wasn't exactly what happened was what Madoka had hoped to explain, but Sayaka wasn't interested in semantics.

She bared down on Madoka, still mid-rant, "Hasn't she taken _enough __from us__yet__?!"_

Madoka's voice was a mix of panic and frustration, it too rising to match Sayaka's, "If we don't go out there they'll _kill_ her!"

"Too bad for her, I guess" the instant the words came out of her mouth Sayaka felt a twinge of regret—that really wasn't who she wanted to be...was it? But it was too late anyway, it'd been stated. Time to dig in her heels.

Madoka's face bunched into hurt disapproval, "…You don't mean that".

"Don't tell me what I do and don't mean!" Sayaka snapped, more petulantly than she'd really intended, "It's the friggin' Transfer Student. She can save herself this time. Fool me once and all that". Why should she be forced to suck it up and sacrifice everything for _Homura?_ Why did everything have to revolve around her?

"And what about Nagisa?" Madoka replied, water beginning to form at the edges of her eyes, "Or the hundreds or thousands of innocent people they'll murder? Are you really okay with that?!"

Sayaka's jaw clenched as she ignored her own watering eyes. Despite everything, Nagisa didn't deserve to have her soul literally crushed, nor did Sayaka want her blood on her hands, to say nothing of the countless innocents Ambroise would certainly cleave through like butter. But there was another problem, "What about the million souls you've got in your pack? Just going to offer those on a platter to some crazy genocidal vampire? How about all the magical girls who are counting on you!? Or your family!?"

An impossible dilemma. Madoka was struck speechless, her hand reaching to clutch her forehead. Kyoko was equally silent; the redhead had been arguing with herself. She didn't want to lose Nagisa or even Homura (besides, the girl was owed an ass-beating or twelve), but at the same time there was no way in hell she was going to give herself up to be some asshole's slave (again). She was _done _being a pawn for other people.

God damn it. She'd gotten too soft and gotten wrapped up in other people's bullshit. This was why she'd been better off on her own, keeping Mami and Sayaka and later Homura at arms' length back before shit had started to get weird.

She should be on her own.

"Let's...let's not panic" Mami said, clearly on the verge of doing just that but trying to calm the atmosphere all the same, "...We can think of a plan. Something. There's four of us here, we're all bright, capable people. Surely we can figure something out on the way" she locked eyes with a despondent Madoka and then an angry and bitter Sayaka, "...Right?"

* * *

Ambroise cut his connection with the zombie and with a small smile nodded at Biene who let her bond with the corpse lapse. He turned to Homura and Nagisa; they'd both been gagged and dragged out into the central square of the burnt out husk of a town. Around them stood the handful of town guards that hadn't been lost in the bridge collapse, as well as the reanimated corpse of Esohaus the minotaur.

"Rejoice" the vampire reassured the girls, "Your friends are alive and well, and presumably on their way. Soon this regrettable episode will be behind us and we will be able to move forward into a brighter era". The two girls glanced at one another, an unspoken agreement of disdain for the vampire lord shared between them.

Homura noted their chains had been substantially weakened by her efforts, yet miraculously Ambroise had somehow not noticed. Even with the draining enchantment still present, she felt mildly confident that soon she'd be able to snap them loose. Currently however, she'd lent the fork to Nagisa who was quietly at work cutting through her own chains. With any luck, they'd be able to work together when the time came.

The problem then of course became 'how to keep from being recaptured'. The enchantment's effects wouldn't immediately subside as it would take time for Homura's strength and magic to return, and she was even more outnumbered than last time. And then there was the fact that Ambroise had both hers and Nagisa's soul gems.

Still, it was better than nothing. If nothing else, maybe she could force Ambroise into killing her and (regrettably, but there was no other option) Nagisa. Without hostages, Madoka wouldn't give herself up.

Homura just had to wait for the perfect moment...


	17. 1x16: Swear yourself to my cause

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: SWEAR YOURSELF TO MY CAUSE**

* * *

"That's Homura, alright. Nagisa too". Kyoko noted the two girls chained to a post and then crawled back down into where the others were huddled in the burnt out husk of a house the quartet was using as their staging point. The house was on the top level of what had once been Valtheim, giving the girls a good vantage point on the rest of the settlement. So far they'd caught at least five zombie guards patrolling the streets, as well as Ambroise himself, the Reachwomen, and a resurrected zombie minotaur. Kyoko had rolled her eyes at that last one. A _zombie_ minotaur, because obviously one or the other wasn't enough. What, was Ambroise too cheap to pay for a full-blown zombie pirate minotaur?

"Are you sure about this?" Mami asked Madoka.

Madoka glanced at Sayaka who was currently looking away towards the ground with a scowl on her face. She was paying attention, but had no interest in contributing more than she absolutely had to. Madoka nodded back at Mami with a bit of apprehension, "It's risky, but I think it's our best option...Unless you have a better idea, that is".

"...I'm afraid not. I wish I did" Mami sighed. She hadn't really contributed much to this plan; Madoka had drawn it all up herself while Mami had handled Kyoko and Sayaka. It was...weird, not being the leader, which she clearly wasn't in this case—it had been touch-and-go for awhile, and anymore she regularly found herself in an unspoken state of competition(?) with Madoka over who took command of any given situation...except she wasn't even sure Madoka even realized they were competing but rather just doing what she did best. While Mami knew it was petty she wasn't entirely sure she liked this continuing turn of events. What good was Mami Tomoe if she wasn't providing for the others?

She turned to the other two girls, "You know what you have to do, correct?" Kyoko gave a fake salute, while Sayaka's frown deepened slightly, "...Sayaka?"

"Yeah, yeah" the petulant teenager stood up, "Let's get this over with".

Madoka peeked out the side of a destroyed wall at the scene below, "...Time's nearly up. We should get moving". At that Kyoko and Sayaka began to move out, "...Sayaka" Madoka gently grasped the girl's shoulder. Sayaka looked back at her glumly. Madoka smiled, "...Thank you".

"...Yeah. Sure, what are friends for?" Sayaka said blandly, pulling away from Madoka's grip a bit more suddenly than she should have. A torrent of emotions roiled under the surface masked with annoyed indifference. As soon as Madoka was outside of earshot she added, "...Maybe this time she can just pee on my corpse or something. Go three for three".

"That's...kind of dark, especially for you" Kyoko joked gently as they exited the ruined building, making sure to stay out of sight. She only got a bitter far-away look for her troubles and wisely decided on a less sarcastic response, "...Hey" she gently nudged Sayaka with a reassuring look, "It'll be okay, huh? Homura tries anything and I punch her between the eyes, yeah?"

Kyoko just hoped...well, she hoped Homura wouldn't think to open her mouth about certain events. ...Shit, what _was _she going to do if Homura stuck around? Kyoko had been a bit on edge about that possibility for the past hour as Madoka's plan had taken shape. She was trying _not _to think about it, but that was easier said than done and now a deep-seated dread was starting to build in the pit of her stomach. This _sucked._ Kyoko hadn't even done anything wrong, and she was still worrying because _Homura_ had made a mess of things.

Sayaka eyed her, managing to give a tired but faint appreciative smile back.

Sayaka hated this; she hated every bit of it with every fiber of her being. She felt conflicted and lost and alone and…

On one hand, it was the _Demon_; a clear and present threat and Sayaka couldn't believe they were actually going through with this. This was the monster who had in the most selfish act imaginable torn god apart. Who had killed literally 'd told Sayaka to her face that she was now the embodiment of evil and that when the time came she would destroy everything—and then she'd followed that up by immediately forcing her way into Sayaka's mind against her will and turning her into a puppet.

So they rescue Homura and then...what, she tags along, able to betray everyone at any given moment? The being who had murdered every last sentient being in their universe aside from their small group? Nagisa was one thing; while she'd stood by and done nothing when Homura had taken over, at the very least Sayaka understood that her goals and reasons were restricted to her alone—even as selfish as they were. She was still furious with Nagisa, but knew that she was harmless at the very least. But the _D__emo__n..._

No one seemed to really truly understand the danger here. Mami was sympathetic and definitely wary but was still willing to compromise, while Kyoko—the girl Sayaka thought would have her back no matter what—was, despite her reassurance a few moments earlier, usually quite uncharacteristically quiet and evasive when anything about Homura came up. Even now she seemed...preoccupied, like she was worried about something else. And then there was Madoka.

Because on the other hand, as much of a front as Sayaka could put up she ultimately couldn't say no to Madoka. There was something about the goddess, even here now in mortal form. It had been there even when she'd just been Madoka Kaname, that ever-present desire to help and belief in the best in everyone, but it had coalesced into something truly commanding and awe-inspiring when she'd ascended. She'd saved Sayaka after all; even poor, dumb stupid Sayaka was worthy of redemption and salvation.

And that had only made Sayaka ever more fervent in her dedication to Madoka's cause. She _wanted _to be better, she _wanted _to be the version of herself Madoka always saw. She wanted to make her proud as her right hand, show her that she was worth the effort as someone who had accepted her former faults and moved on. She was supposed to be amazing and triumphant; an archangel of righteousness and a force for good...even if Homura had torn that all down and left her bleeding.

And that was the absolute worst part of it all...that Sayaka couldn't even indulge in righteous indignation to sooth her bruises because it almost felt like she was in the wrong again somehow, like she was bad for feeling this way. Every day she had to deal with Madoka fretting over Homura, even if (thankfully) she wasn't stating it out-loud anymore. Every day she had to deal with Mami and Kyoko worrying about Nagisa. Every day the nightmares got worse and worse and worse and they weren't even _about _the Demon anymore. Every day she had to keep her mouth shut and distract herself or risk saying something she shouldn't and being scolded like a child. And maybe she deserved those scoldings because deep down she kind of knew she _was_ being a child about it but every time...she just couldn't stop feeling this way and she felt so guilty for having those feelings in the first place because no one else did and maybe she was just causing them trouble and that's exactly what did her in before and she was second-guessing herself and...and…

"Sayaka" Kyoko whispered, concerned as they turned a corner and shaking Sayaka from her thoughts. Kyoko had an odd look on her face, torn between concern and...pity? "...We should go back" she said gently, noting the expression on Sayaka's face, "You and Mami can switch plac-"

"No" Sayaka said, "I'm fine". She wasn't a burden.

"Bullshit you're f-"

"I'm _fine"_ Sayaka repeated as forcefully as she could while still whispering, "We're doing this". She could do this. She was going to prove it to herself and everyone else. She wasn't that dumb little girl who got everyone killed because of her naive stupidity. She wasn't the weak link who needed to have her hand held.

She was the Herald of the Law of Cycles. She'd _grown up _and it was time she acted like it. It was her job, nay her mission to bring Madoka's will to fruition...but it was also her job to protect Madoka against threats from within and without. Sayaka pulled ahead of Kyoko and she pushed it all down inside herself, "Come on". Kyoko eyed her worriedly and followed.

The two girls sneaked their way through the bombed-out shell of a town, making sure to avoid the scant patrols as they wheeled around the central square so they could find a good striking point from behind.

* * *

Homura continued to slowly file away at her chains with the fork the mudcrab had given her. It was slow work; the fork was not a knife, after all, and Ambroise and Biene were watching her like a hawk. Still, she was making progress even as much as she had to keep it secret from her captors. She pulled a bit at her chains; was it just her, or did she feel a bit less drained now?

...Had the fork dulled the chain's enchantment somehow? As a test she summoned a very small flicker of fire.

...Yep. Magic worked. A little bit, at least. Well, she supposed that was why she felt an odd sort of magical effect from the fork, it was likewise enchanted, though it felt very different from any other enchantment she'd come in contact with. Still, this was _good _news. With a bit more work, she could break these chains. And then...and then she'd make her final play. The fork would give her a good enough weapon to distract Ambroise with while she moved to crush her gem. She knew which pocket her kept the gem in; a quick time-slow spell would be all she needed.

...Speaking of, there had been so far no sign of Madoka, thankfully. Time was almost up. Could...could it be that Madoka had finally seen that she was just too much trouble and left her to die? Homura hoped against hope that for once Madoka had seen the truth, and though her chest tightened a bit she was quick to squash down any negative emotions about that. It was for the best that Madoka reject her. But before that train of thought could get very far both she and Nagisa caught sight of something in the corner of their eyes and saw something moving behind the rubble that had once been the town hall behind them. Hints of red and blue and—oh _hell_.

Well, perhaps there was a bright side. Maybe the idiot duo's inevitable fuckup would finally give Homura the chance at death she deserved. She watched the two in the corner of her eye, making sure _not _to draw attention to them as they approached. What was their goal? Surely they knew Ambroise had their soul gems, simply freeing them wasn't going to cut it. Homura looked to Nagisa for answers, but the younger girl simply gave her a shrug and a puzzled look.

Oh what Homura wouldn't have given for the Incubator's psychic link right now so she could ask Kyoko. She kept working on her chains.

The red and blue girls loitered, just behind the burnt wall of the town hall as they occasionally peered out at the square, waiting for a good opportunity. Ambroise turned from where he was, facing away.

Kyoko and Sayaka struck, charging forward with the aim of taking Ambroise by surprise.

Sigh. Honestly, what else could Homura have expected from these two? Why on Earth had Mami or Madoka allowed them to take point if it was supposed to be a stealth mission? What were they trying to accomplish?

The two got close, but it seemed Ambroise had been well aware from the start. Biene struck them with twin lighting blasts in their sides, sending them toppling over one another and landing in the dirt a meter or two away.

"A valiant effort, but a poor choice" Ambroise said with a sigh as zombie guards began to surround the girls. He began to dig around in his pocket, "I had hoped your goddess would see reason, but I suppose another demonstration is in order" he fished the two soul gems out of his pocket. Nagisa's eyes widened in fear. "Which would you like to see die first, Madoka Kaname?" the vampire called out as he lifted the soul gems so she could see, wherever she was, "I'll leave you to decide who lives and who dies for your poor judgement".

"Wait, stop!" came Madoka's pleading voice. Homura's blood froze as she saw her former friend stand up out of the wreckage a level up, "Don't do it. Please".

The vampire had a smug look on his face, "Very well, I can be magnanimous. Come to me, Ms Kaname. Surrender your soul gem and the world shard to me now, swear yourself to my cause, and all will be forgiven".

Homura tried to scream out as Madoka slowly made her way down, but it only came out as muffled nonsense thanks to her gag. She pulled at her chains; they were bending, but they weren't breaking.

Come on...come on...COME ON.

Options. She...she needed options. She still couldn't move and she didn't know any self-destruction spells. She'd tried biting her tongue off the night before but well...magical girl bodies were _really _good at staying alive as long as possible, and Ambroise had been quick to patch her back up the second he'd smelled blood...then he'd shocked her gem for a good minute to show how bad an idea it was to try again.

Madoka approached Ambroise with resignation, "...Do you swear not to hurt anyone?"

"I am not a monster, Ms Kaname. I have no reason to hurt anyone when it does not serve a greater purpose".

Madoka frowned, "That's not a 'no'".

He smiled slightly; she _was _intelligent, "That is not a promise I can be sure I can fulfill" he said, "But this is not a negotiation. Your soul gem, now, or one of your friends pays the price" he squeezed slightly, letting a bit of an electrical spell dance across the gems. Behind him, both Nagisa and Homura wretched in sudden pain.

"Stop, please! Here, my soul gem" Madoka pulled her ring off her finger and transformed it into its gem form. Homura screamed with every ounce of strength she could muster, thrashing around violently as she could as if to make herself a target. Biene and Ambroise both took the bait and turned to her, worried she was about to escape. Madoka's gem flashed a brilliant pink.

That was the signal.

Sayaka pulled out the scroll Madoka had given her and ignited it. Immediately a volley of miniature suns burst out in all directions and impacted the handful of guards surrounding her and Kyoko. As they burned, the redhead lunged forward.

"What!?" Ambroise managed to get out, right before a crossbow bolt lodged itself right in his forearm. He shouted in pain as it ripped through his muscle and came out the other side, forcing him to drop the two soul gems. He glanced up, seeing Mami positioned as a sniper a level up.

The soul gems never hit the ground; Kyoko slid under Ambroise and grabbed both before rolling to a halt. Biene aimed her staff at the girl, only to only get distracted by a volley of electrical energy from Mami. She turned to the blonde's position and prepared to fire.

Bad move: Kyoko bull-rushed her. Behind them Sayaka found herself under attack by the minotaur and dodged a hammer blow.

"Stupid wretch!" Ambroise seethed, clutching his wound as everything unraveled around him in an instant. He began to tower over Madoka who stepped back "I'll-"

With a final panicked, crazed heave Homura finally snapped her chains, lifting herself up and charging the vampire from behind with her bare fists, screaming unintelligibly in a fit of fear-induced mission-oriented rage. Ambroise turned, catching her by the arm and tossing her over towards Madoka. The pinkette briefly caught Homura but then had to turn her aside and duck as Ambroise's hand came down with outstretched claws, his eyes literally blazing with anger. In a single fluid motion Madoka brought out another scroll and ignited it right under Ambroise's abdomen. He gasped as he saw what she was doing a split second too late, right before a miniature sun from her palm rammed into his midsection and sent him flying back. He screamed as his undead form burned.

Madoka panted, noting to herself that she only had one of those scrolls left before turning back to Homura who was pulling herself up from the dirt, "Homura, are you okay?!"

That voice. That concern. It was...god, it was so nice to hear it. And all of this, this whole setup, it had all been her plan. Homura couldn't help but admire that about her; of _course _Madoka had set this whole thing up. She felt dumb for underestimating how unexpectedly underhanded the girl could be when she wanted to, even as she worried that Madoka had put herself into such imminent danger just for her sake.

"Homura?" Madoka repeated, hopeful.

Homura blinked, unsure of how to answer and feeling just a bit overwhelmed, "I-"

"Yo, Homes!" Kyoko's voice sounded across the battlefield from where she stood, having just freed Nagisa and given her her gem back. Mami had meanwhile taken over fighting Biene; the former was trying to keep Mami and her electrified chain whips away with her own storm spells. Homura saw Kyoko toss her something small and oval shape.

Her soul gem!

Homura snatched it out of midair.

Madoka was already drawing her bow as an enraged and scarred Ambroise rebounded and turned into a cloud of bats. She shot one down before a hundred more descended on her. They swarmed on her, reforming as the vampire lord as he gripped her arms tightly.

"This could have been simple!" he growled, pinning her as he prepared to tear off her hand, "You are responsible for your own suffering!"

Homura charged, taking the fork and stabbing the back of Ambroise's neck. He shouted with pain before letting go of Madoka and grabbing Homura by the arm, pulling the utensil out in the process. He gave the tool a perplexed look, "Did...you just stab me with a _fork_?"

...Huh. Homura supposed she had. She couldn't help but give him a slightly sheepish look.

He gripped her wrist, taking a closer look at it. A knowing smirk crossed his face, "...Ah, I see. You've made friends with another Daedric Prince!"

Homura gave him an odd, confused look, "...What?" A Prince? She thought back. Hircine? But she hadn't seen him since she'd left the Blades, what did he have to do with anything now?

Any further contemplation was knocked out of her head when he tossed her aside just before Madoka threw a magelight spell into his face, temporarily blinding him so she could body slam him off the level, sending both of them into a ruined house below.

"Madoka!" Homura shouted in fear, scrambling to her feet. She was about to follow but something pulled at her pant leg. She looked down, finding to her surprise the mudcrab from last night. It had by its side a large bag it had been dragging across the ground.

"Shpecial delivery!" it said, pulling the back to Homura and dumping out the contents at her feet. Her bow and quiver spilled out on the ground. Ah, her gear. Excellent.

"...You can talk" she said, more plainly than she'd expected as she worked feverishly, strapping her bow's shield guard to her wrist before quickly slinging her cloak and quiver over her back.

"Sheesh, coursh I can talk! Wouldn't be a very good merchant if I couldn't gab all day, would I? Now take yer stuff and get goin'. I gotsh more deliveries to make!"

Right. She had more important things to deal with right now anyway. Feeling terrible for making Madoka wait for even a second, Homura slide her dagger back into her belt, grabbed her pack of supplies, and essentially flew off the side of the street and into the building one level down where Madoka and Ambroise had vanished.

* * *

Nagisa picked up her hammer she'd gotten from the friendly mudcrab that had passed by, a little perplexed but not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was nicer than Kyubey at least; only interested in returning what had been taken from her free of charge instead of pestering her endlessly.

Up ahead Sayaka was being outmatched by the minotaur; she was fast and deadly, but sword strikes didn't do much to impede someone much bigger who didn't feel any sense of self-preservation anymore. She thought about jumping in to even the odds but...it _was_ Sayaka. She didn't want to get the cold shoulder again...and if she was being a bit honest, maybe she kind of got a bit of a grim satisfaction watching her former coworker get a bit of comeuppance.

No, no. Bad Nagisa. That kind of petty thinking was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place.

Mami and Kyoko were busy tag-teaming Biene, with Kyoko and the weather witch trading blows via staff and lance, while Mami came in from the side. Realizing she was being outflanked, the witch backed off, gaining some ground before whipping up another spell in her free hand. Lightning issued forth around her, but instead of striking any of the girls it began to impact the ground, pulling up rocks and dirt and coalescing them into a vaguely human shape. Nagisa recognized the form—a storm atronach summoned from Oblivion, just like they'd seen back at the College!

Mami attempted to strike with her lightning staff, sending an arch of electricity at the new arrival.

It did nothing. Mami ceased her assault and she and Kyoko stepped back as the creature _crackled._

Kyoko saw it, "...Oh shi-" both she and Mami dove for cover as the atronach held true to its name and a shockwave of electrical energy exploded from it in all directions. It approached them as Biene followed, laughing.

Deciding she'd seen enough, Nagisa took her hammer and swung in on Biene's side which the Reachwoman blocked with her staff. A couple meters away Kyoko and Mami flanked the atronach on opposite sides, weaving in and out expertly as only two girls who had been fighting together off and on for years could do, with Kyoko providing the melee combat and Mami providing midrange support.

That was when they heard a scream; Sayaka had attempted to score a hit the minotaur where he wasn't by swinging herself over his hammer as he tried to strike her and land her food in his face. Instead, he grabbed her by the left leg and threw her down _hard_. She cried out in pain and surprise as her body met the ground like a limp doll. Then up again. Then down again. Then up again. Then down again. No longer able to make noise due to all the air being sucked out of her body and no longer able to tell up from down, the somewhat battered Sayaka was then sent flying into the ruins of the town hall, barreling through torched wood and stone and landing in a heap somewhere inside. The minotaur launched itself into the air and jumped into the building.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko shouted, pinned against the atronach.

Mami was already on it, turning away towards her location, "I've got her! Keep the atronach busy!"

Easier said than done; it was more like the atronach was keeping _her _busy. Still, Kyoko complied, taking a moment to cast oakflesh and then using all her might to push her lance back against the rock monster.

Mami meanwhile made a dash for the town hall, "Sayaka?!" There she was; dead ahead. The bluenette was a bit dazed and unsteady, trying to get up as the minotaur closed in.

She wasn't going to be fast enough. Sayaka seemed to realize this too, and braced as well as she could for the hammer blow.

Mami was already in mid-sprint, unslinging her crossbow from her back as she loaded it quickly with an arrow and aimed with perfect marksmanship.

The arrow pierced the minotaur's other eye. Living or not, it DID feel that and roared, pissed-off as it realized it had just lost its sense of sight entirely. It began to swing its hammer wildly, hoping to hit Sayaka through sheer luck. Thankfully for her, Mami had dove in after her, rolling out of the way of the weapon while the monster thrashed about.

Mami pulled herself up to a sitting position, taking a moment to look over the somewhat bruised Sayaka, "...Are you alright?"

Sayaka grunted as Mami helped her to her feet, "Yeah…think so. Thanks for the save. How do we beat this guy? How'd you take him out last time?"

Mami grimaced as the monster turned its attention towards them—either through sound or smell, she didn't know, "...Luck, mostly" she admitted.

Both girls prepared for round two, backing up a bit to give them even just a bit more space, "That...doesn't fill me with confidence" Sayaka muttered.

* * *

Madoka evaded each strike from Ambroise's sword as she weaved out of the ruined house and back out onto the street, occasionally blocking with her bow. She couldn't get enough space to think about conjuring up another spell or fire off another arrow; he just kept _coming _with enraged ferocity.

"You are _quickly _proving an irritation, little girl!"

For not the first time in her existence, Madoka was kind of wishing she'd managed to pick up the wisecracking barbs Sayaka or Kyoko could throw out when on top of their game, or the dry remarks of Homura. Then again, neither of those would probably feel right in her mouth. Instead, she did what she did best: being earnest.

"I can't be your weapon, and I won't help you conquer the world. I'm sorry".

Ambroise paused, a look of fury brushing across his face but for a second, "'Sorry'? Hrph. Do you know why the Reach doesn't worship the feckless, useless Divines of the Imperials?" he swung again. Madoka blocked, then used it to vault herself off the side of a broken wooden wall and throw her foot down on Ambroise's head. It was enough of an impact to send him briefly reeling while she landed behind him. In her hand she summoned longstride—it was time for some experimentation. Ambroise spun around and launched a volley of arcing fireballs, "Akatosh, Zenithar, Kynareth, Stendarr. Hah, Stendarr, god of 'mercy'" Madoka used longstride to dodge the attacks, "Where was Stendarr when the Nords massacred our people? Where was Akatosh when Markarth burned?"

Madoka zigged when she should have zagged, and the last fireball sent her rolling back into the dirt. Ambroise approached, "Where was Mara when _my wife..._" he paused, standing over her as he fought to compose himself.

Madoka felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the vampire, the pieces of the puzzle coming together for her, "...I'm sorry".

He looked down at her angrily, "Your apologies are empty platitudes. You withhold your help and remain blissfully uninvolved. How many die day by day? How many could you have saved if you got down off your mountain and helped? There might be a price to pay with the Daedra, but at least they put in the work for their worshipers! They offer results!" he raised his sword, preparing to strike down, "Molag Bal might be a right piece of shit, but he's true to his word. It's high time you and the rest of the Aedra put in some good work; I'll make sure of it".

An arrow knocked his sword from his grasp. Both Ambroise and Madoka looked up at where the shot had come from—there stood Homura on top of a burnt building, bow and shield in hand, a thick, slightly tattered fur cloak blowing in the breeze behind her. She gave Ambroise a dark, foreboding scowl, "Madoka Kaname is not your personal slave, nor does she owe you _anything_" she notched another arrow, her voice positively frozen, "I told you I was going to kill you".

"...Homura" Madoka sighed with relief.

Ambroise's expression was somewhere between amusement and heavy irritation, "So you said. I'm still waiting".

In response Homura loosed her arrow right at his neck. He grabbed it out of mid-air, then with a smirk tossed it aside.

It was a feint.

Homura's fist, clenched around the handle of her bow, impacted the vampire's still-smirking face point-blank, helped along by a time-slow spell so that Ambroise never saw it coming. Madoka saw her chance and decided to try a new spell she'd picked up recently from the books Valtir had lent them. She loaded one of her arrows and shot it at the rebounding vampire. Halfway across across its arc, the arrow exploded into a shower of smaller arrows, courtesy of an alteration spell. The storm of arrows impacted the vampire, stabbing into his chest and limbs without regard for destination or target.

Madoka ran over to Homura, "Homura!" the pink girl enveloped her in a tight embrace which Homura was not in any way prepared for, "Thank goodness you're alright. I've been _so_ worried". It felt unreal. Finally, after so long. Over a _month _of worry and dread. When Valtir had told her that they couldn't find Homura, Madoka had secretly feared the worst, even as she kept hoping one day they'd run into each other.

But now she'd done it. This was real. She'd _saved _Homura. Even if she wasn't the Law of Cycles anymore, she'd still managed it. She couldn't believe it. Neither could Homura apparently, as she said nothing. The emotions and relief she felt were indescribable.

"Why didn't you say anything in Whiterun?" she asked, but Homura said nothing, "...Homura?" Madoka pulled back slightly in hesitation, realizing the other girl wasn't reciprocating.

The sudden warm reassurance, even with the leather armor both wore between them threatened to break Homura's brain. It almost did; she was just about to reciprocate and lean in with all the force she could provide, letting the world melt away into nothing. It was almost like _before_, during the first couple loops, when Madoka had been her rock, the one who told her it was going to be okay and she always without fail believed her.

...But Homura couldn't. She couldn't return that affection...a creature as dark and repulsive as her didn't deserve it for one, for two…

As much as she didn't want to, as much as she deeply wanted to stay in Madoka's soft grip forever, Homura firmly but softly pulled away from Madoka despite the confused and concerned girls' wishes, instead directing Madoka's attention to the source of their current troubles. Ambroise was staggering, breaking arrows where he could without risking pulling the heads out of his flesh. Homura explained, now all business as she forced herself back to the present situation, "This is not the time or the place" she brushed her hair out of the way and readied herself for the next round, "You would do well not to let your guard down in a fight, Madoka Kaname".

Her full name; ice-cold and distant. Madoka's heart sank a bit at Homura's cold shoulder but took up position regardless. She was right on one count at least: they could figure everything out after the current situation was dealt with.

"I hope you've enjoyed your reunion" the vampire growled, "Because you've chosen death. Now I'm just going to take your gems directly and leave your bodies for the birds". He'd tried, he really had. Ambroise had given them every opportunity to surrender peacefully, to join his cause willingly. He wouldn't have hurt them, far from it; he'd have given them a spot of honor. But now...most of his inner circle were dead, and plan after plan had failed. It was likely that even now the others were disposing of Biene and then he'd be outnumbered. He'd still held the advantage last time, but they had still held their own, and if Madoka was any indication, they'd adapted to some of his tricks.

Simply put, he could no longer afford to indulge in a sunk cost fallacy, especially this far away from The Reach. Even if he _did _manage to subdue the entire team alone, transporting them all back across the entirety of the Kingdom of Whiterun was a dubious task at best.

As if to make his point, an attempt to cast vampiric drain on Madoka ended with Homura deflecting with a well-timed ward spell. It wasn't going to be that easy this time. The two girls braced for his next attack. Homura was already aiming her next shot, making sure to position herself ahead of Madoka.

Magicka crackled in the spaces between Ambroise's fingers as he stretched his arms out. Homura fired, but her shot slung itself through empty air as the cloud of bats escaped in all directions. Both girls looked up; the sky was seeming getting darker, and fast. That didn't make sense though, it was morning, and the sky was already cloudy and gross. It was an unearthly darkness, intense and absolute, and all around them the bats began to quickly grow in number as they swarmed around them. Homura and Madoka linked up back to back, not sure where the next attack would come from...and then they saw it. Behind the storm of bats, even more flew up in an ominous swarm, dark as night, coalescing into a giant shadowy version of Ambroise, at least fifteen meters high that towered above them with a demonic grin. Electrical energy crackled around Homura and Madoka as the giant swarming Ambroise brought up his arms.

And then the fireballs began to drop.

* * *

Biene slammed her staff into the ground where Nagisa had been again and again, each time just barely missing the girl as electrical energy generated forth. Out of the corner of her eye Nagisa could see Kyoko having a similar amount of trouble against the atronach, with the redhead constantly dodging the much thicker creature's continued assault.

There had to be a way to even the odds here. As it stood, physically speaking Nagisa was much stronger than the weather witch, who as far as she knew was neither a vampire nor a briarheart. The problem was Nagisa could never get close long enough to throw her weight thanks to Biene's skill and magical prowess.

She really didn't want to get electrocuted.

Case in point, a short distance away Kyoko had attempted to stab the atronach in the chest. The resulting electrical shot knocked her back, and the now spear-less girl landed in the dirt. The atonach regarded her weapon still lodged in its chest for a moment, then pulled it out and tossed it aside. It charged up another round of lighting attacks and Kyoko bolted, escaping each blast as it came down on her like an artillery barrage.

Nagisa moved around a street light. The wooden pole was splintered and vaporized by Biene's electrical staff and Nagia again dodged out of the way.

Wait...her _weight!_

Okay, so it wasn't a great plan. It was fairly terrible, actually. But if it worked…

Biene brought her staff down again, giving Nagisa the opening she needed. She cast longstride, speeding herself up enough so that she avoided the shot—though it was less like the kind of superspeed you'd see in cartoons and more like 'fling yourself into a building', in this case the town center. As she did though, she reoriented herself and sent her hammer flying in the opposite direction, right towards the atronach.

"KYOKO!"

The girl in question dodged a swipe from the hovering monster just as it was it in its backside by the flying weapon, the impact enough to send it forward some. To her credit, Kyoko saw where this was going: Nagisa was providing her with an opening.

Seeing her chance now that Nagisa had given up her weapon, Biene charged up her staff and sent a solid, sustaining burst of lightning at the young girl. Nagisa was just fast enough though, and brought up a ward to block the worst of the magical onslaught. Against a seasoned witch and a well-made staff however, Nagisa could not help to hold her barrier for long.

Thankfully she didn't need to. Before the atronach could catch her Kyoko was in a solid sprint, weaponless and free. She leaped into the air.

"Hey, _bitch_!" Biene looked up and to the side in dawning realization as Kyoko came down on her with an ugly smile, twin fireball spells coating her hands, "I cast _fist"._

One punch hit Biene right in the face from above. Honestly that was enough to drop her, but as Kyoko landed her other hand came up from below and slammed itself into the witch's abdomen. Biene's hands dropped the staff and she went flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the town center which Nagisa was up against...and she didn't get back up.

"...Thank you" Nagisa gasped, catching her breath.

Kyoko sniffed a bit in triumph, then flashed a grin at Nagisa, "Not a half-bad play there, squirt". The sound of grinding rocks however reminded them that the fight wasn't over just yet. The atronach again crackled with energy—even unbound from its master, it was still ready to fight. The resulting beam of lightning sent the girls dodging in opposite directions.

* * *

Mami's chains pulled apart one of the few charred wooden pillars still standing within the town hall and sent debris flying at the man-bull. The undead minotaur charged through in a (literal) blind rage towards her, but she stepped out of the way at the last second, allowing him to ram his head through the wall. On the minotaur's other side Sayaka was in position. They'd intentionally herded the minotaur into the right spot, and the second the beast had gotten its head stuck in the wall it unwittingly activated the ice rune scroll Sayaka had put there. Immediately the lower half of the minotaur's body froze solid, sticking it in place.

Mami whipped her chain out again, locking it on the wrist of the monster's hand that held its hammer.

"Sayaka!"

"On it!"

The knight was ready. Sayaka launched forward, swords gracefully flying like extensions of her own limbs as she closed in within a second, latched her blades onto the wrist of the beast's taut arm, and _twisted._

The hammer and hand dropped to the ground dumbly even as the zombie minotaur began to thrash around. Sayaka prepared a followup strike while Mami retracted her chain, but the former was caught off-guard by the minotaur suddenly freeing both its head and legs, and swinging its remaining fist at her. Sayaka tumbled, her back cracking a burnt pillar and as she looked up at the furious undead towering above her, she realized she'd messed up real bad.

"Sayaka!" Mami shouted in fear, already moving towards her former student as fast as she could.

...And then suddenly, just like that, the unearthly light in the minotaur's eyes faded and its form slackened. It dropped to its knees and Sayaka instinctively braced herself for the collision...except instead, it just sort of...disintegrated. By the time the body hit Sayaka it was just a cloud of literal dust.

Oh, ew, it got in her mouth!

Overcome with a sudden sense of revulsion at the fact that she was eating _zombie sawdust_, Sayaka erupted in a fit of desperate choking, gagging, and spitting, trying her best to get the vile taste out of her mouth.

Why did the universe hate her?

"Sayaka, are you alright?!" Mami asked, rushing over to her and kneeling down, helping to brush her off and pick her up.

"Eugh, yeah just...not sure I was ready for today" she gagged, "...Thanks for the save though. What kind of spell was that? I've never seen you use it before". Her question was somewhere between genuinely curious, shock, and mild disapproval considering the implications of what a disintegration spell could do. She hadn't taken Mami for one to look into such brutal spellcraft.

"Not one of mine, I'm afraid" Mami helped Sayaka up and looked down at the ground, equally baffled.

Sayaka's eyebrow arched with disbelief at her luck, "You're telling me he just...disintegrated? Out of nowhere?"

Mami's mind searched for possible answers, "Perhaps there's a time limit on how long the zombie is good for?". It made a certain amount of sense; after all, aside from a handful of guards there had been no sign of the army from last night when they'd arrived today. But then another answer provided itself: "...Or perhaps not". Mami spied towards the front of the building another corpse, this one very familiar. There, hanging on some broken burnt wood was what was left of Biene.

"...I can't say I'll miss her" Sayaka said blandly. The sounds of an explosion outside pulled their attention away. The two stepped outside and witnessed the storm atronach blow a hole through a house with an electrical attack. Kyoko and Nagisa were trying to flank the rock monster on each side, and they seemed to be doing a decent job of upsetting and frustrating it.

Another lightning blast impacted the rock wall.

Sayaka suddenly gasped in realization, "...Madoka!" Stupid! She'd not even noticed Madoka had left the central square while she'd been fighting...she was all alone with the vampire and the Demon; not a great combo. What kind of poor excuse for a Herald just lost sight of her goddess like that?

Mami nodded, moving to help the others, "Go, I'll handle things here. Find Madoka! We'll back you up as soon as we can!"

Sayaka shot off down the street as fast as she could without another word, hoping to track her friend down before it was too late.

_God_ she hoped it wasn't too late. She had every faith in Madoka's ability to defend herself, but if something had happened, she'd never forgive herself.

* * *

Madoka's life right now was a series of wards. She and Homura were back to back, constantly refreshing and redirecting their magical barriers as they moved about, defending one another like a well-oiled team as the fireballs reigned in from all sides along the wall of endless bats.

The only problem was, they were quickly running out of magic.

"We need to get out of the killing zone" Homura told her, "If we stay here he'll just wear us down!"

Madoka agreed, but it was easier said than done; she didn't see a single way out of this trap. It didn't make sense—Ambroise had been strong in the Snow Elf ruins, but everything he'd done had still been on a...well, a 'mundane' level, she supposed, bat swarm aside. But this...this was leagues above anything he'd shown then. It was almost like...

...Oh, duh. Of course!

Madoka turned to her once-and-again friend, "I have an idea, but I'll need my hands. Can you pull double-duty for a few seconds?"

Homura extended her left hand around Madoka and began to deflect every fireball as they came, "Do what you need to!"

"Thanks, Homura!" Always dependable Homura. Madoka allowed a small smile even as she got to work, letting go of her wards and summoning up a detect dead spell before spinning around as fast as she could, hoping to get a lock.

There!

"Homura!" Madoka shouted, pointing at the ghost of a figure beyond the barrier. Homura's gaze zeroed in on the real Ambroise.

Of course; an illusion spell. Well, two could play at that game.

Dropping her wards as Madoka took up position to defend, Homura in a single fluid motion brought up her bow, aimed an arrow, and...well, so concerned with the show, Ambroise realized too late what Madoka had done, and by the time Homura slowed time it was all over, and he'd lost an eye.

The illusion around them shattered into nothing as the vampire was knocked back by the kinetic impact, gasping in shock and pain as an arrow shaft extended out where Ambroise's left eye had once been and where blood was now gushing from.

And now both girls were upon him.

But Ambroise was Reachborn. He was no stranger to suffering, nay his people _embraced _it. They were forged in the bleak and unyielding canyons and foothills of the Druadach Mountains. His gods were the purveyors trails and tribulations, of wrath and torment. The Reachmen were strong and he would not be cowed by some petulant children, gods or not! With a warcry that was a mixture of rage and pain, he snapped the arrow at its shaft, extended his claws, and came down on the two girls in a crazed frenzy.

The two girls danced around him. Each time he got close to one, the other would flank him and open fire with her bow. Each time he attempted to drain one the other would either strike to distract him or would put up wards.

It was _infuriating._

Homura got his neck. Madoka struck his knee. While he was no stranger to pain, eventually his body _would _fail him. He needed an upset.

Wait.

...Oh, yes. He knew exactly how to play this.

Ambroise's body again evaporated into a cloud of bats as Homura moved in again, only to get a face-full of angry flying rodent. They bit and scratched as they flew past her, causing her to bring up her arms protectively. The cloud arced, swinging around to Madoka as the vampire reformed, a fire spell clutched in his hands.

Madoka's eyes widened even as she started to move to evade, but it was already too late.

"MADOKA!" Homura shouted in panic, moving to intercept. Madoka's hasty attempt to bring up a ward shattered as the fire singed her hand, and as the fire licked at her flesh, the overbearing heat and force of the fire sent her reeling back. It didn't injure her much directly—but it was enough; both girls were now out of position. Madoka fell to the ground, the world shard tumbling out of her pack and falling out onto the ground just out of reach.

Ambroise swung his other arm around and immediately Homura's body tensed and seized up just before she got to him. Her strength and magic began to drain, tendrils of energy snaking back into Ambroise and beginning to heal some of his wounds. Homura struggled to free herself, desperate to avoid a repeat of last time, but the vampire's magic held her in a tight grip, and the longer it went on the weaker she got.

As he did this, Ambroise walked over and reached down, picking up the world shard even while still keeping his focus on Homura. A weary smile danced on his face; this was it. Victory was at hand.

"NO!" Madoka flung herself at him. At an instant he turned his attention from Homura, now down on her knees, to his true target. Madoka stumbled as her body began to be sucked dry, "...No..."

Ambroise approached her with a look of triumph, until he grasped her neck with his hand. The other held the world shard, which he looked at with wonder and glee; so odd that something so small could be so powerful.

"Do you know what I could do with the power that a million souls could provide?" he asked her as her body lost its strength, "That's the population of the entire Imperial City, the largest in Tamriel" he laughed at the absurdity of it all, "I could carve out an _empire"_.

"You...you can't..." Madoka tried to speak even as her throat was squeezed.

Ambroise gave her a malicious look and lifted her off the ground. She struggled, her hands trying to wrench free from his grip, but they were slipping and she couldn't...she just couldn't do much anymore. Her vision began to blur as he kept speaking, "Oh, but I can, and I will. And you'll help me" he laughed, somewhere between a cackle and unhinged delirium, "I will _make_ you help me".

Homura pulled herself as best she could. Thankfully he hadn't drained her for long, but it had still been a considerable amount. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a stamina potion tucked in her bag and downed it in a single swig, ignoring the bitter taste as she staggered to her feet. Ahead of her was Ambroise, Madoka helpless in his grip.

No.

Not like this.

But she needed options. She was still weak, and it would take time for the potion to revitalize her. But then she saw a few steps away from her, laying on the ground, was a long chunk of narrow, charred wood.

That would do.

"Hope is such a fickle concept, so useless on its own" Ambroise taunted Madoka, "But don't worry; I'll correct that problem! A new age is upon us, and I shall be its king!"

She was...she was fading. But she couldn't. She...she had to...all of Mitakihara…

There was still one option left. Madoka had been saving it for a close encounter because it was her last one, and thankfully scrolls didn't require magic to be cast.

She garbled something.

"What was that?" the half-crazed Ambroise laughed, loosening his grip just slightly, "I can't hear you!"

"...I said I'm sorry" Madoka managed to get out, her voice little more than a whisper. Ambroise's smile quickly dropped into an unsettled frown...just before Madoka activated the last Dawn's Wrath scroll she'd dug out of her pocket and thrust it up into his face. The vampire didn't even have time to recognize that a miniature sun had ignited on his skin and thus didn't even get a chance to scream at first. He let go of Madoka and the shard in an instant as his face melted against the holy light. Madoka dropped to the ground in a heap, too weak to stand or even sit up.

Finally, he _screamed._ Ambroise stepped back, trying in vain to wipe away the holy flames. He was so busy with that, that the wounded vampire didn't even notice Homura coming up behind him until the wooden stake pierced his heart and came right out the front of his chest. He wheezed, the air knocked out of his ruined lungs.

"You...you…" he managed to gasp. Then his anguished, ruined face calmed itself, and his arms dropped to his side in full knowledge that this was the end. He'd lost. "You've...made a mistake, you know" he wheezed, "I would have given you everything. I would have protected you. My Lord...will be...far less benevolent". With those last words, Ambroise let go and disintegrated, his body dissolving into dust that harmlessly piled onto the ground, indistinguishable from the soil and gravel and leaving Homura with an empty stake in her hands. She steadied her breath, dropping the plank of ruined wood.

It was over.

Well, not quite. Up ahead Madoka was trying to crawl towards the world shard… 'trying' being the operating word. Homura walked up to the object and scooped it up off the ground.

"...Homura…?" Madoka asked. Homura held the shard in her hand. She could end this, right now. All she had to do was just one more unforgivable sin, one more thing that would make Madoka hate her. "Homura..." Madoka was still trying to pick herself up, but couldn't.

This was Homura's chance. Her one chance. Soon Madoka was going to recover, or someone else was going to arrive. She was wasting it.

She had to do this.

As terrible as it was, it was the only way.

"...I'm sorry, Madoka" she said, lifting her arm up as she steeled herself, knowing she would never again be held by Madoka, never again see her smile in her direction, never again be so much as on speaking terms. Her course was set, she was going to crush the shard. Homura didn't know where the souls would go but...but…

"...Homura…?" Madoka looked up in horror as she realized what Homura was going to do, "Homura, please! DON'T DO IT!" she cried out.

"I have to". Homura's voice wavered. She was a monster, a demon, the Devil. She was evil incarnate and had given up all trace of her humanity. She was a _thing_, not a person, an entity with one singular overriding goal—the survival and happiness of Madoka Kaname...and right now...right now this stood in the way.

"My family's in there!" Madoka managed to shout out in confused panic, unable to understand why Homura looked to be doing what she was, and scarcely even believing it was even happening. Homura froze, "All of Mitakihara's in there! Hitomi, and our class, and...and..."

The world around Homura faded away a bit. All she heard was her own unsteady breath, her heart pounding in her ears, and, faintly, Madoka's pleas for mercy. All she saw was Madoka looking up at her, stricken and panicking, so close to spiraling into unrelenting and unending grief if Homura made one simple choice.

Homura wavered. She couldn't.

She had to! She…

Junko and Tomohisa Kaname. Tatsuya Kaname. They were good people; they didn't deserve this. They deserved to be at home with Madoka.

Homura remembered the times Madoka had invited her over to dinner, during the first few loops when she'd still been some semblance of a person. When she still thought she could look forward to tomorrow.

The first few loops; when Madoka had enthusiastically introduced Homura to her other classmates, the boys and girls who had eventually faded into the empty background of Homura's mission. She could no longer recall most of their names, but their faces...she could never forget their faces.

Hitomi Shizuki, the green one. The girl who had given her studying tips and advice back when Homura had still been trying to live a normal life, when school had been for more than mere appearances.

The shopping trips, the meet-ups at Mami's, the study sessions, the sleepover that one time at Madoka's.

She couldn't.

Homura grip slackened slightly, then redoubled, then...she couldn't. She couldn't do it. She couldn't do what she needed to. What a failure she was. What an absolute, abject failure.

She just wanted to give Madoka the happiness she deserved, but this wouldn't provide it. It would only leave her a crying wreck. The alternative meant giving her a chance to become god again and destroy herself...but still Homura could not do this, not when it would have hurt her just as much as the alternative. No matter what choice she made, it would only end in tears. One killed her family and left her stranded in this pre-modern wasteland, the other killed her altogether.

Homura wanted to scream. What was she supposed to do?!

Madoka, witnessing this internal struggle as it washed over the girl's face, gave Homura a confused and worried but sympathetic look as she cautioned her, "Homura, I don't know what's going on, but we can talk this out, can't we? Please, just...just give me the shard. I just want to talk. Just let me help, please".

God damn it. What a weak and worthless thing Homura was, so easily swayed by words and feelings. She began to pull her arm back down in abject dismay and disappointment at herself, hating the fact that _once again _the universe had thwarted her simple wish. Why was this so impossible to achieve? What was she doing wrong?

For a split second Madoka thought she might have successfully deescalated the situation.

A blur of blue and righteous fury flew down from the level above, impacting an unsuspecting Homura dead-on with a guttural war cry. The shard flew from her hand, and Madoka only barely managed to catch it as she called out in dismay at the new arrival.

"SAYAKA!"


	18. 1x17: There's nothing wrong with me

**~ BOOK ONE FINALE ~**

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME**

* * *

"Homura, please! DON'T DO IT!"

_Oh no._

Madoka's panicked shouts drew out a deep well of fear and anger in Sayaka as she raced as fast as she could down the empty street. She didn't know the specifics, but it didn't matter: her friend, her goddess was in trouble, and Homura was at fault. And as she approached, she found the Demon standing proud over Madoka's defeated form with the world shard in her hands. She steeled herself.

_No. No no no no NO NO._

Sayaka bowled into Homura as fast as inertia would take her. There was no hesitation, there was no second-guessing, there was no fear.

This time she would not fail.

"SAYAKA!"

Later. Sayaka would deal with Madoka later. Right now the archangel had a demon to slay.

Taken by complete surprise, Homura was sent flying and both girls crashed into the dirt a few meters away. To her credit Homura rebounded fast, managing to right herself to face Sayaka as she skid backwards in the dirt, half-crouched.

"Miki" Homura said with a hint of contempt as she brushed her hair back "You're looking well, consid-hurk-" Homura hadn't expected Sayaka's fist to land so quickly in her midsection. Homura was a bit startled at being outplayed like that.

Sayaka hadn't even bothered with a reply, making do with the deadliest look she could muster. There was no predicted grandstanding, no overzealous declarations, no moralizing, none of the pomp and circumstance that had so wearily graced their interactions in the past. All Sayaka could see was _red. _All she could think about were the mindwipes and the wraiths and...and...she couldn't stop now. She couldn't risk letting Homura get the upper hand or she could end up doing something horrible to her again or...NO. She wasn't going to give her an opening.

No mercy. Homura had to go down as _fast as possible._

Sayaka was out for blood, and as soon as Homura realized this she altered her tactics accordingly—Miki wanted to have a tantrum? Fine, Homura could oblige and once again put her in her place; especially after Sayaka had done her absolute best to ruin Madoka's happy life. She had had quite enough of the knight's constant and incessant meddling where she didn't belong; the world would be better off without her.

Sayaka broke into a spin kick and drew her swords, coming at Homura like an angry dervish. Homura wasn't there however. As Sayaka had been spinning about Homura had used what little magic she had left and slowed time, moving to Sayaka's side so she could aim and fire an arrow point-blank in her abdomen. Sayaka let out a yelp of pain as the blade impacted through her armor and into her flesh.

"Sayaka!" Madoka called out with desperation, "Homura! Please stop!" This was a nightmare; like that night in the alley all those lifetimes ago when she couldn't do anything then either.

Neither girl was listening. More arrows went into Sayaka. One of Sayaka's blades went into Homura. It was like watching a dance; a brutal and vicious one, but a dance nonetheless as they wheeled around each other expertly, each going for the killing blow—or at least what would be a killing blow for a baseline human. Tired of Homura trying to evade and flank once again, Sayaka let go of a sword and grabbed a clump of the girl's hair. Using their movement to her advantage, Sayaka sent Homura, gasping in pain and surprise, flying into a building. Sayaka picked up her sword and launched herself forward.

Big mistake.

Sayaka approached the hole she'd thrown Homura through, only for the other girl to flip out through another exit, dagger in hand. The blade went under Sayaka's left shoulder blade and she tore as far as she could before a screaming Sayaka finally pulled away and swung her good arm at her, managing to cut Homura in the arm. The two backed off from each other; in Homura's other hand alongside her bow she held a magic potion, already open.

She finished it off, even as Sayaka patched up her own shoulder with a healing spell.

And then just like that they were off again; Homura charged up a fireball spell while Sayaka raised up a ward.

"Stop fighting! Please! Stop hurting each other!"

As soon as the fireballs were done Sayaka let loose a volley of ice spikes. Homura flipped past them, landing in a crouch. She drew an arrow from her quiver and began to try and again flank Sayaka. She wasn't having it though, and the two began to run down the street in parallel, each trying to outpace the other as Homura fired arrow after arrow and Sayaka deflected with her swords.

Sayaka was a flurry of fury and swords, and her advantage of surprise and Homura's initial weakness from the earlier fight had served her well, but a sword was only as good as its length and—oh wait no. Homura found herself dodging one of Sayaka's swords as the other girl unexpectedly _flung _one of hers at her, only to then see Sayaka barreling in at full steam with an unhinged scream—for just the briefest of moments Sayaka had been mentally thrust back to that moment on that sidewalk on the way to school and it was enough for her to _snap_. Homura was forced into close quarters combat, using her bow to block Sayaka's sword. She twisted, flipping Sayaka over her with a kick, however Sayaka used this to her advantage—instead of falling on her back she threw herself at the building, using it as a launching spot to rush back at Homura.

But Homura was ready; as Sayaka rebounded Homura grabbed three arrows, notched them all at once, and sent them flying into Sayaka. Two hit; one of them in her abdomen, the other in her knee. Sayaka hit the ground hard.

Despite everything, while Sayaka was indisputably the better warrior in melee, Homura was still the better _fighter._ It wasn't insurmountable, it wasn't overwhelming. But it was enough. Homura knew how to outflank, she knew how to hit where Sayaka was not, and she knew how to keep her off-balance.

But Sayaka had something that Homura had always found excruciatingly annoying about her: Sayaka was _durable. _Even as she was preparing another arrow (her last, she noted), Homura was forced to drop it and defend as Sayaka vaulted herself up using her arm and good leg to swing back up into a kick. She knocked Homura's bow away, grabbed her by her hair, and threw her into the side of the building with an incoherent scream. Homura countered by grabbing the now-weakened Sayaka and spinning around, reversing positions and pinning her against the wall before bashing her head into the brick repeatedly before tossing her aside. Sayaka landed in the dirt, beaten.

The bluenette coughed up a bit of blood as Homura stood over her, panting and clearly exhausted after two consecutive fights, "...Do you ever get tired of losing, Miki?" she asked as self-assured as she could manage at the moment. She expected a petulant yet defiant response; perhaps some of Miki's poor substitute for Kyoko's quips...but that wasn't what she got.

Homura could see sudden primal fear in Sayaka's eyes as she stood over her, she could hear the ragged, terrified breathing of an oncoming panic attack as Sayaka scooted away. A pang of guilt rose up from within Homura as she was taken somewhat off-guard by her adversary's sudden turn; she had always wanted Sayaka to respect her authority and fall in line, this wasn't what she'd wanted. It felt..._wrong_.

Sayaka's flashback-induced spiral was quickly replaced by a look of rapture aimed behind Homura.

_Oh shit. _Homura dodged out of the way just in time to avoid Kyoko's incoming strike. The redhead impacted the ground as Homura managed to flip back to a safe location, avoiding Kyoko's spear.

"Homes! How you doin'? It's been ages. You don't call, you don't write..." Kyoko's false cheer faded instantly into deadly seriousness as she moved her spear into a fighting position, having placed herself defensively in front of Sayaka, "And we _really _need to talk".

"No…no more talking" Sayaka grunted as she forced herself to her feet. Her breathing steadied with Kyoko's arrival; she was okay now. Things were going to be fine. Focus on Kyoko. She pulled out the arrow in her knee before healing that spot, then snapped off the arrow in her abdomen off at the shaft before wiping the blood off her mouth.

Kyoko regarded her for a moment, helping her up before glaring back at Homura, "Right. What I _meant _was that I'm going to talk using my fists" a beat, "I'm going to punch you. A lot. Not sure when I'm going to stop".

Homura backed up a few steps. This was bad; against one or the other alone she could possibly win—Kyoko would be more touch and go but still theoretically doable. Against both girls at once was a lot more dicey though, even in a best case scenario, and Homura was currently tapped out. She knew her absolute best chance right now was to take out Miki as fast as possible; if she could do that there was a chance she could extract herself while Kyoko was distracted.

"You okay?" Kyoko asked Sayaka.

She flashed a thankful smile as she clutched her side in pain, "Better now. Thanks for the save".

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Both sides tensed, ready for round two. But the second they moved in again-

A chain wrapped itself around Homura's arms and waist and she tumbled. A split second later another chain did the same around Sayaka's. Kyoko stopped suddenly and looked back at where Mami and Nagisa stood over Madoka who currently had a look of horror on her face. Mami loaded another chain bolt and aimed her crossbow at Kyoko.

"Woah, woah!" Kyoko dropped her lance and put her hands up, "I'll be good!"

Mami sighed and relented, "I believe that's quite enough of _that"._ Madoka let loose a deep, relieved sigh. Nagisa hesitantly handed her a potion which Madoka gratefully took.

Mami meanwhile marched up to Homura who had pulled herself up into a kneeling position.

"Akemi".

"Tomoe". The brief exchange was terse, with only the pretense of civility.

Sayaka sat up, "I caught her stealing the world shard from Madoka". Mami affixed Homura with a glare.

"That's not what happened!" Madoka exclaimed, "She and I fought Ambroise! She saved me!"

Sayaka glared at her. _Honestly,_ "So why was she standing over you with the shard?"

"I..."

"Why did you scream for her to stop!?"

"That's..." Oh, wow. Madoka's face fell as she realized there was no good way to explain this.

"I was going to smash the shard" Homura said plainly. Everyone gave her a wide stare at the blatant admission of guilt.

"You..." Sayaka sputtered in horror, but couldn't find the words. Mami transfixed Homura with a glare. Even Kyoko seemed a bit taken aback.

It was a new plan; one Homura had formed right on the spot. She might have choked on destroying the shard so she'd have to come up with a new plan to thwart Madoka's efforts to reclaim godhood...but there was another problem Homura could solve right here and now: between the Incubators and Ambroise Homura knew a clear pattern of events when she saw them. She could easily be used as bait by hostile powers to lure Madoka in so they could control her, and that was something Homura could not abide by.

If Homura was to protect Madoka adequately, then she had to sever Madoka's emotional connection to herself. Madoka had to see that Homura was now an evil, wretched thing beyond redemption. Maybe if she could get Madoka to understand that, then others would cease trying to get to her through Homura.

She had to make Madoka hate her.

"...Homura, why?" Madoka asked with dismay, lost and confused. She didn't understand any of this. The Homura she knew worked hard to save everyone and felt immense guilt when she failed each time. The Homura she knew had done everything in her power to protect her. The Homura she knew had fought proudly and valiantly to defend the world Madoka had loved so much.

Why? None of this made sense.

"Because it wasn't a world worth saving". Not if it meant Madoka had to sacrifice herself for it, anyway. Homura turned to Madoka with a cold look, "I told you we would become enemies". She watched Madoka's expression shift between confusion, heartbreak, and disbelief in random chaotic order. It metaphorically tore Homura's heart from her chest. She really was the worst.

A tense but brief moment of silence descended as the other girls all digested what they had just learned. Mami stood over Homura with quiet anger, "All those people...To think I opened my home to you".

Homura to her credit didn't even flinch as she stared right back, "Anything you did was of your own accord". Mami's eyes narrowed in contempt.

"I knew you were a demon" Sayaka said at last, gathering herself up, "I knew you were nothing but trouble. We should have just left you with the Incubators. Would have served you right".

Homura turned to her, "And yet you nearly smashed your precious shard by _accident_".

It took Sayaka a moment to figure out what she was referring to. She sputtered again, turning away in shame as she suddenly realized she'd been _that close _to...oh, god. She didn't want to think about it. Inwardly she cursed herself; she was supposed to be better than this. Why was she still messing even the most simple things up?!

Homura pushed further, feigned indifference masking irritation at Sayaka being...well, Sayaka, "Tell me, do you ever get tired of ruining everything around you by playing make-believe?"

Sayaka rebounded quickly with rage at the thought of Homura's mindwipes and labyrinthian false worlds, "Oh, you wanna talk about ruining things playing _make-believe?!"_

"...I don't believe you" Madoka said hoarsely, cutting right through the brewing argument. The other girls all turned to her, a mixture of hurt, fear, and stubborn disbelief on her face. Homura was lying; she had to be. This was the girl who had spent a decade trying to save her. This was the girl who had done everything she could to help her. This was the girl who until five minutes ago had been fighting along side her, side by side just like old times.

"...Madoka?" Homura asked, her facade cracking slightly. Even after all of this...Madoka still had faith in her. It almost made her stop right there and break down in her arms and call this whole stupid thing off.

Madoka's voice became firmer as she marched up to her counterpart and knelt down beside her, "I don't believe you" she looked Homura in the eye, "I don't know what's going on or why you're doing any of this, but I know this isn't you. Homura, please".

Sayaka had had enough. The Demon was flat out admitting she was everything Sayaka had said she was if not _worse_, and still Madoka refused to believe. What more evidence did she need?! She snapped at Madoka as she stood up, still bound by Mami's chain, "Madoka, you cannot be serious! She tore the Law of Cycles apart! She brainwashed us! She destroyed the universe! Just now she tried to break the shard with your family in it! _My _family! Everyone we know! She's _admitting _to it _right now_!" Sayaka's voice raised to a fevered yelling pitch, anger and disbelief with a hint of desperation as she just wanted Madoka to get it through her head.

"She..." Madoka clutched her face with her hand, deep unsteady breaths coming as she felt the world beginning to spin around her. She felt dizzy and her skin began to get clammy. None of this made sense. Why didn't any of this make sense!? It felt like opposite day. Madoka had spent all this time looking for Homura and now it was like a nightmare and she just couldn't… "She wouldn't..."

Homura redoubled herself; she had a job to do and cursed herself for her moment of weakness. The devil facade came back in full force. She had to make Madoka believe, she had to make Madoka give up on her.

It was time to be cruel. The easiest way to make Madoka angry wasn't to hurt her directly, it was to hurt her friends.

Besides, Homura wasn't sure she could bare to do that.

"I would think you would be more understanding towards her, Miki. After all, she's not the only one to suffer a betrayal from a once-thought ally".

Sayaka glared at her, now farmore confident with her friends surrounding her and unaware of Kyoko's sudden seizing up as her worst fears suddenly became reality, "What the hell are you babbling about?"

A small smirk formed on Homura's lips, "You really don't know then. How do you think I found out about your little scheme?"

Sayaka froze. Honestly, that _was _something she'd wondered about, "...You usurped god. You could see everything, or maybe the Clara Dolls..."

Homura's smile grew wider, more sinister, "I could see everything, but I couldn't look for something I didn't know about. I'll admit, you got close. You may have even pulled it off, had Kyoko Sakura not sold you out to me".

Sayaka regarded her with a panicked expression but for a moment...and then that melted away into a hearty laugh, "Oh man. I'll admit, you almost had me for a minute. Kyoko, can you believe her? She-" Sayaka's laugh died as she saw Kyoko standing there, silent and brooding, her eyes hidden under her bangs. Sayaka's mouth suddenly felt very dry, "...Kyoko?"

Silence.

"It's amusing, really. She didn't even hesitate" Homura added, "As soon as you recruited her, she came right to me".

"...Kyoko" Sayaka almost-pleaded, her increasingly shaky voice trying to remain even and in control, "Tell me she's wrong". Kyoko still didn't respond, so Sayaka said her name louder, "Kyoko! Tell me you didn't do it. Please. Tell me she's wrong" panic bubbled up, "Tell me she made you do it".

What _could _Kyoko say? All she'd wanted was for Sayaka to stay with her. All she'd wanted was her god-damned _friend _who had miraculously come back from the dead and given her the absolute best time in her entire life, and Homura had twisted that into this unholy mess and...and…

"...I'm sorry".

Sayaka felt her world imploding around her. The person she'd trusted, the person she cared for so much, after everything they'd been through together, the person who in another life had _died for her_… "...Why?" was all she managed to croak out at first in disbelief and pain.

"I..."

"Do you know what _she did to me_?!" Sayaka became more frantic, more crazed as the implications set in.

"You told me you wouldn't hurt her!" Kyoko snapped in anger at the girl who had lied to her, ignoring Sayaka for the moment, "You said she'd be safe!"

"And she was" Homura replied evenly, breaking character just a bit, "Is she not here now, safe and sound?"

"'Safe and sound'?! You tortured me! You violated my mind!" Sayaka shrieked, "You took _everything _from me!"

Feh, such melodramatics. Miki was always so quick to throw the worst possible accusations for the least possible things and play victim. All Homura had done was put her in time-out for a few hours and Miki predictably was acting like she'd killed her dog.

Well, at least it was helping Homura's plan in this case by painting her in as bad a light as possible; maybe Miki _was _good for something after all. "You got in the way" she said coldly, "Maybe next time you'll remember your place".

"Stop it!" Madoka screamed at Homura, on the verge of tears, "Just...just stop it! Why are you doing this?!" Homura flinched.

Sayaka looked to Madoka for help, and to Mami. She looked for support, for...for anything. But what she saw wasn't shock or surprise, or anger. They weren't surprised at all.

"You knew" Sayaka said to Madoka, eyes wide in realization as the gut punches kept coming. Madoka froze. So did Mami, "You both knew _this entire time_ and you didn't tell me!?"

"It seems you're not as important as you like to pretend, Miki" Homura spat out.

They'd hid this from her. They'd protected Kyoko, they'd...they'd...Sayaka's entire world collapsed around her in a single horrible instant. It was her. It was her all along; still, even now. Sayaka was the burden. The weak link. She hadn't been redeemed, she hadn't been better.

She was the same useless, worthless fuck up she'd always been, and _everybody knew it_. They'd just been placating her, humoring her, treating her with the kid gloves. They all _knew._

What an absolute joke she was.

_And they all knew._

"Sayaka..." Madoka tried to say, but the words died in her throat.

Sayaka stood up, dizzy and lost and suffering a shortness of breath. Her chest was tight and pounding and it felt like everything was about to overwhelm her. She couldn't...she couldn't…this wasn't...

She couldn't be here. She couldn't deal with this. Sayaka stood up and bolted, sprinting away in shame and humiliation so no one could see her crying in some desperate attempt at holding onto any shred of dignity she had left, her arms still pinned to her sides.

"Sayaka!" Madoka shouted in distress as her friend ran off.

"Sayaka, wait!" Kyoko followed her, running off into the ruined town.

Mami watched this, then turned to Homura with barely-constrained fury, "Are you happy now?"

"...I'm never happy" Homura admitted. That much was true. "Are you going to kill me now?"

Mami pulled out her crossbow and loaded a bolt, and for not the first time in her life Homura looked down the end of Mami's weapon, "...The thought has crossed my mind". Mami's aim shook with hesitation; she didn't want to do this. She'd killed before; multiple times since coming to this world but this…despite everything Homura had been one of _them_; a fellow magical girl, a person.

A friend. Of a sort anyway.

"Mami, please. Don't" Madoka pleaded.

Mami gave her a look, "She's a threat and she needs to be dealt with". It was clear she _didn't _want to do it.

Madoka gently grasped Mami's wrist and with Mami's allowance pushed the weapon down, "Killing her won't make things better. Please".

Mami sighed, relenting. She turned to Homura who was standing up. The chains that had bound her arms fell off; obviously she'd been working on them this whole time. If Mami was surprised then she did a good job of hiding it, "I suppose this is your lucky day. You need to leave; you are not welcome here".

Homura gave her a smirk, then a second later jumped up atop a ruined house and peered down at her former friends. She brushed her hair aside in proper dramatic fashion, "You would do well to listen to your friends, Madoka Kaname. You shouldn't stray far from them; if you do, well...I may just steal you away again" a wide sinister smile, "and who knows what would happen to you then. I am a demon, after all".

"Homura-" Madoka started, but as soon as her friend finished speaking she vanished into thin air, leaving a despondent Madoka behind. Mami looked at her broken team; first at her forlorn goddess, then at the silent and troubled Nagisa who had kept her mouth shut this entire time, then in the direction that Sayaka and Kyoko had ran off into.

What a mess.

* * *

Homura _ran_. She ran to escape Madoka and Mami, she ran to escape what she'd just done, she ran to escape her feelings.

She ran to escape herself.

But you can't outrun yourself, and eventually, somewhere deep within the thick pine forest on the edge of the Eastmarch border, Homura tired and stopped, leaning against a tree for support and forcing down the tears that threatened to erupt. The sound of Madoka's shrill pleadings echoed in her mind.

She'd hurt Madoka. She'd made her cry.

She was a monster.

Homura choked down a sob, her hand in her face.

"So you tried to make your girlfriend happy by telling her you hated her and then beat up and tormented all her friends" Theodor's jovial voice sounded. She caught him leaning against another pine tree to her right, clapping his hands with a wide smile on his face, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! And they call _me_ crazy".

"You!" Homura stood back upright, her posture defensive, "Where have you been!?"

"Watching" he said flippantly, "You don't disappoint! Drama, chaos, choreographed violence, sudden twists! It's the best stage production I could have hoped for. I can't wait for act two!"

"You..." Homura's eyes widened as she realized he'd been playing with her, "You let Ambroise take me!? You were there the whole time?!"

Theodor grinned darkly, "Of course. I'm always there. I've always been right by your side, Homura Akemi. Did you like my gift? The ol' mudcrab merchant's an old friend, I knew he'd deliver the Fork of Horripilation to you just fine".

The crab was his doing. The fork...oh no. Ambroise had mentioned a Daedric Prince, "...Who are you?!" her eyes narrowed as suspicion mounted, "_What _are you?!"

"Ah...now _there's_ the real question, isn't it?" Theodor approached her and her posture became ever-more threatening. He paid her no mind as he circled like a hungry wolf, "I'm the rain on your back. The blemish on your psyche, the shadow in your subconscious. I'm the voice in the dark corner of your mind, the errant thought you repress but can never forget. You already know who I am, dear Homu, don't you?"

She stepped back as the pieces folded neatly into place as she recalled what she'd read back at the Blades' temple. Mounting horror filled her, "...There's nothing wrong with me" she growled in self-defense.

"Oh my dear Homura" Theodor said, ecstatic she'd figured it out at last. In an instant he was gone, replaced by someone who looked like him but..._not. _An elder gentlemen in a flamboyant but upper-class suit, graying hair and beard, and a cane in his hand. His eyes were like a cat's, and his smile had a few too many teeth. Sheogorath, the gentlemen with a cane, the lord of the never-there, the Daedric Prince of Madness, stood before her in all his terrible glory. He spun around, turning his back to Homura as his head unnaturally bent backwards to face her, "I think we both know...there's _plenty_ wrong with _you"._

Homura backed away from the insane god. She'd been walking around with the lord of madness this entire time.

It all made such horrible _sense. _All of the weirdness, all of the oddities and insanity. It was obvious now, why hadn't she seen it?! All the paranoia she'd felt towards him was suddenly entirely justified, and she felt so _recklessly stupid _that she'd let her guard down over the past few weeks.

"You..."

"Yes, me" he said cheerfully, "Or not me. Depends on how I'm feeling on any given day, really".

Homura's fists clenched, teeth bared even as she knew she was powerless. She was facing down an _insane god_, "...What do you want?"

"Well now, that's a dangerous question, isn't it? It's right up there with 'Who am I?' There's no real good answer. I might want many things, from many people. Those wants might change on a whim; I _am _rather unpredictable".

"What do you want with Madoka?" Homura demanded, attempting to narrow the question.

"Madoka?" Sheogorath paused, seemingly confused for a second. He shook his head, "A few things, I suppose. She _is _important and we'll get to her in due time but for now..." he stepped closer, again as she backed off once more until she bumped into a tree, "I want you".

"W-what?" Homura blushed, taken completely off-guard.

Sheogorath became offended, "Oh not like that. That's Sanguine's thing. Or Dibella's I guess, though I'll bet it's kind of hard to when you're half-dead. Not that I'm judging!"

"No, my dear" Sheogorath whispered in Homura's ear as he appeared behind her. She jumped forward and spun around as he crept around the tree, "You are _fascinating_. Can you believe something like you has never ever existed before in the Aurbis? By all rights, you shouldn't be! You're an irregularity".

She frowned at the use of the label the Incubators had always given her, "What are you talking about!?" Damn it, she just wanted some straight answers.

He continued to pace around her, "Tell me, you ascended, yes? Became a god? Fell towards apotheosis? Ripped apart the fabric of reality with your own two hands and stitched it back together with your name on it? So what exactly are you the god _of?_"

Homura paused, not...entirely sure how to answer that. She'd jumped around a few different ideas during her short stint as the devil, but she'd never really been able to hone in on one concept like Madoka had. Her initial answer to Sheogorath would have been 'love' but...while she'd used the moniker a few times it had never really felt right, like it didn't fit. She loved Madoka with all her soul and had ascended purely on her behalf and _because _of her love for her, but at the same time Madoka was the only person she loved in any meaningful way and there were already other love gods who were certainly not like her.

Desire, maybe? Chaos? Madoka was a goddess of hope; she sought to spread that emotion throughout the cosmos. What did Homura want, beyond Madoka's happiness?

"...Evil" she said finally, settling on her betrayals and worthlessness when she couldn't come up with anything she felt like she ruled over, "I'm wickedness incarnate".

Sheogorath let out a deep, bellowing laugh, as if he'd just been told the funniest joke he'd ever heard, "That's certainly a new one! You _are _a delight!"

"What exactly is so amusing?!" Homura demanded to know, a bit more petulantly than she'd intended. She just wasn't all that good at taking mockery.

The Madgod got himself under control and his grin turned feral, "_Everything_. So tell me, how would you define 'evil'?"

"I..." Homura started with an answer, but then...found she didn't really have one. She could point to her own traits as a person; her selfishness, her ineptness, her vanity and cowardice but...those were only unrelated pieces of a larger whole. The nuns had always said it was the absence of god, but how could you be a god of an absence of yourself? The half-remembered words of the handful of philosophers she'd read over the years during the scant few moments of downtime she'd had were of little help either; none of them could ever agree, and some didn't even think evil was anything more than a label or tool for society.

It had been easy to label herself as a devil when she'd been in opposition to Madoka, but when Madoka was just one of many deities? The comparison fell apart.

"I just find it amusing. You're a god. You're the alpha and omega of your little world. Wouldn't good and evil be whatever you say it is? If I strung every chicken in Wayrest together in a long line mouth-to-butt like a giant centipede, wouldn't my worshipers not consider that to be a good thing?" he paused, considering, "...I should pencil that in for a Fredas, actually. Sounds delightful".

Homura looked up from where she'd been starting off at to now find Sheogorath sitting on a stump. The mockery was gone and he was in one of his more 'stable' moods.

"...What are you trying to say?" she asked, a bit more unsure of herself.

He walked by her from behind; she was really starting to get irritated by his constant shifting, "Evil's a value judgment, not an urge you can embody. Imagine if I started calling myself 'Sheogorath, Lord of the Pretty Swell'!".

"Then what am I?"

The grin returned, "Maddening, isn't it? To have questions, but no answers?" he turned away, "I'll leave you to ponder that for a while".

"You're leaving". Not a question, a statement. Homura wasn't sure if she should be relieved or terrified.

Sheogorath smiled, "Don't worry; Uncle Sheo provides and Uncle Sheo protects. I'll be keeping in touch. Keep the fork; it's a gift. Oh, and best if you go and check on your girlfriend" he laughed at some joke only he understood, "She's a little crazy _too"._ And then just like that Sheogorath was gone, and Homura was alone. Blessed silence.

And then the implications hit her: Sheogorath had called Madoka crazy. He hadn't seemed all that interested in her during their conversation, but he'd also been _very _interested when he'd first found her and even now said he had plans for her.

...That was right; she'd been plotting to kill him. Well, that seemed quaint now. What was she going to do!? Vampires were one thing but...gods? A god of madness? And here she was powerless; no dark orb, no clara dolls…

It felt like things only ever got worse and worse.

An errant thought hit her: this world was virtually swimming in gods; surely she could play at least one of them off Sheogorath and keep him away from Madoka. But no, she dismissed that thought: bringing in more infinitely powerful unknowns would surely only make things even _worse._

She forced herself to calm down; for all his insanity Sheogorath hadn't actually done anything to either her or Madoka. While he wasn't to be trusted, he wasn't an _immediate _threat. For now, at least…she hoped. Another errant thought, that maybe she was already crazy and didn't know it she squashed and ignored.

If Sheo became a problem she'd deal with it then. For right now the most important thing was to retrace her steps and find Madoka's campsite so she could keep an eye on her from a distance.

* * *

The rest of the day had been...quiet and subdued. The Quintet (such as it was) had decided to vacate Valtheim as soon as possible in case bandits or soldiers came by to check on things, and so they'd retreated towards Eastmarch, slowly but generally heading in the direction of the city of Riften. It was several days away, but going by what Ambroise's minions had said as well as the letter Madoka had tracked down inside Ambroise's makeshift base within the Valtheim towers, Valtir was waiting for them there.

Hardly anyone was talking to each other.

They'd only managed to make it a few miles today before camp was set up. They were all exhausted from the last two days and if Mami was being honest none of them were in the right head-space right now...Sayaka especially. She hadn't said a single word to anyone since Mami and Madoka had tracked her and Kyoko down; she wasn't even granting anyone eye contact. Madoka was worried; she hadn't seen this kind of darkness in her oldest friend since...well, since Oktavia.

The campsite chosen was defensive; it existed in a small clearing of the thick pine forest they found themselves in, and was protected from the thin freezing miserable sleet that now came down around them by a large rocky overhang.

Mami made dinner in uncomfortable silence, deathly afraid of what tomorrow would bring and trying her best _not to think about it._ The food in question was, again, stew; without the tools and ingredients from home Mami found her cooking rather rudimentary. This however was at least boosted by deer meat from one Kyoko had managed to hunt and kill earlier (even if neither girl had had ever harvested an animal before and it looked more like the deer had been run through a woodchipper by the time they were done); the redhead had spent most of the evening trying to keep her mind off things and finding ways to 'make things up' to Sayaka. Hence, deer hunt.

So far, there had been no success on that front.

Mami handed a bowl to Madoka, breaking the fallen goddess from her morose thoughts. Madoka gave her the barest of tired smiles with a nearly-silent "Thank you" before resuming her silent brooding. Mami didn't bother her further, instead taking two more bowls of food right before she was accosted by Kyoko. She handed Kyoko hers, but soon took the hint from the pleading girl and with a small reassuring smile handed her the other one as she glanced over to where Sayaka was silently reading a book at the far isolated end of the campsite.

Kyoko gave Mami a thankful smile before turning and heading in Sayaka's direction. Gently and cautiously she sat down next to her on the same log.

"Hey".

Sayaka didn't respond.

"Food. I uh...I helped. I hope you like deer". Kyoko all but threw the bowl into Sayaka's lap, and the girl was forced to put her book aside or risk spilling it. She gave Kyoko an unreadable expression, looking down at the food in thought, "...I'm sorry. For what Homura did, I mean. She tricked us. I didn't mean to get you hurt".

Sayaka regarded the bowl silently for a moment. Then slowly she stood up, food in hand and purposefully walked over to the camp fire before dumping the contents of the bowl into the fire and setting the bowl where the dirty dishes would go after the meal. Then she walked over to another isolated location of the campsite and sat down, returning to her book. A mouth-agape Kyoko watched on, a mixture of shock, hurt, and blistering anger fought for control.

Anger won out.

"...So it's going to be like that, huh?" Kyoko asked, deeply offended by the clear and deliberate attack on her character. The other girls watched intently.

"...Yeah" Sayaka said roughly, not even looking up from the book she wasn't even reading anymore, "It's gonna be like that".

"I said I was sorry! What more do you want?!"

Sayaka's anger boiled over. She slammed the book shut and stood back up, "What I wanted was for my friend to have my back and not _sell me out_ to the to the fucking devil the first chance she got! I _warned _you! I told you..." she paused, unable to say what she wanted, unable to verbalize it, "And then you handed me back over to her!"

"...She wouldn't have had to do those things if you'd just behaved".

Sayaka blinked. That hadn't been Kyoko. Nagisa sat alone, hunched over her bowl of food, unable to look her in the eye. Sayaka growled, ready for the confrontation she'd been dreaming of. Finally Nagisa would give her the rope to hang her with, "...What was that?!"

Nagisa flinched, but responded still, though quietly and hesitantly, "...You know what I said".

Sayaka marched over, standing over the kid even as Nagisa remained hunched over and trying to make herself smaller—all her courage going into her words. Sayaka _raged,_ "Yeah, I want you to look me in the eyes and say that shit to _my face! _Tell me I deserved it, I dare you!_"_

Nagisa, after a moment of hesitation, finally forced herself to lock eyes with Sayaka, a hurt look on her face. She was _so tired _of being the bad guy just because she'd wanted to _live_, "...She left me alone because I didn't assault her".

"Assault? I didn't lay a _hand_ on her!" Sayaka erupted, pissed beyond all reason, "I _confronted _her after she, y'know, tore _god_ apart without even explaining herself, because that was my god-damned job! OUR job! But you forgot that while you were too busy playing in the pond!"

"She was just trying to help!" Nagisa replied, standing up as more courage came to her. It was too late to back down and it was like Kyoko had told her: never let other people make you feel bad for wanting to live. They were the ones with a problem. Nagisa had done nothing wrong; "All she wanted was a better world where we all got to be happy!"

"She built an unstable and unrealistic fantasy and then blew it up when it didn't go her way! You don't get brownie points for playing make-believe and ignoring reality, Nagisa! Actions have consequences!" Sayaka was yelling loudly now.

"Yeah, I guess you found that out the hard way" Nagisa threw back. Mami gasped quietly.

Pain passed over Sayaka's face and for a moment Nagisa felt regret. That...that wasn't...she hadn't meant to say that. Sayaka's rage reached a new pitch as she growled at Nagisa, "Grow up".

Any regret in Nagisa's mind quickly washed away, "Grow up?" she asked, offended, "Grow up?!" she began to yell too as the unfairness of it all washed down on her, "I'm _nine_! I DIDN'T _GET _TO GROW UP!" To her credit Sayaka backed off, a bit shocked and unsure of how to continue.

"Yeah Sayaka" Kyoko re-entered the conversation on Nagisa's side, "How about you stop preaching the Glorious Crusade on your soapbox for five minutes and think about what other people want for once?"

"Enough!" Mami interjected with all the authority she could muster as she approached them, "Sayaka's right. Homura put us all in a fantasy world that blew up in all our faces. It was no different then her labyrinth; and didn't we all work hard to break free of that?" the others fell quiet, "Life isn't perfect. It hurts, but it's true, and sometimes we just have to learn to deal with it and move on" she glared at Kyoko, "Some of us still need to learn that, I suppose".

Tears began to come out of Nagisa's eyes. She clenched them shut for a second, then turned to Mami with balled-up fists, "...Is that what you really feel about me? If it weren't for Homura I wouldn't be here. We'd have never met!"

Sadness threatened to overtake Mami as the implications she'd been trying to ignore for so long finally closed in on her. She looked away in shame, doubling down on her ideals in the process, "...We don't always get what we want, Nagisa. I'm sorry".

So, that was it then. She didn't belong her after all. She was just getting in everyone's way. Nagisa rushed off sobbing.

"No, I guess I don't, do I?" Kyoko stomped her foot in protest at her former mentor, taking a second to flash a sneer at Sayaka who had turned away with her arms folded in contempt, "No one ever bothers to ask what I want! I'm only ever relevant when someone wants something! I'm only as good as what I can do for _you_" she glared directly at Madoka who had until now stuck to the sidelines, watching with heartbreak as her team ripped itself apart, "And then I'm tossed out like yesterday's trash".

"...That's...that's not true, Kyoko" Madoka said, shocked and off-balance by being suddenly targeted. Why would she say that?! Of course Kyoko mattered!

But Kyoko was having none of it. She wheeled on the supposed goddess with all the frustration and anger she'd been keeping inside all this time, "This is all your fault, you know. I was just minding my own goddamn business. Until a couple months ago I didn't even know who you were, but suddenly you waltz in like you own the place and you've known everybody for years, and suddenly we're all expected to drop everything to do whatever you want!"

"That's not-"

Kyoko didn't let her get a word in as everything finally tumbled out of her mouth, "_Everything _went in the shitter the second you showed up! I got a news flash for you, princess: not everything is about you and Homura, and I'm tired of everyone pretending it is! I'm not your goddamn friend, I'm not your goddamn archangel-in-waiting, and I'm definitely not your _goddamn pawn_!"

Madoka backed up from the enraged Kyoko, hurt and still processing everything from earlier, but still trying her best to calm the other girl, "I never said you were my pawn..." she said, shocked and unsettled at her friend's sudden turn. She'd never thought of Kyoko as a pawn! Madoka was aghast at the thought; where was this even coming from!?

But Kyoko wasn't done, "Then answer me this, _'god'" _she got in close to Madoka as she backed her into the rock wall, "We spent all this time hiking all over the goddamn country for _your _family after you and your creepy girlfriend screwed everything up, so where's MINE? WHERE'S _MY_ FAMILY!? WHERE'S MY _SISTER_?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE _THEM_!?" Kyoko slammed her fist into the rock above Madoka's head, ignoring the pain from the impact on the rough stone.

Madoka didn't flinch or cower. She just looked up at the taller girl with empathy, sadness, and a sudden pang of guilt, "...It...it didn't work that way, Kyoko. I made the only wish I could. Anything else and...everyone would have died when I became a witch".

Kyoko regarded her, then her face twisted into a snarl as she grabbed Madoka by the collar, "Well, you're just fucking worthless then, aren't you?!"

"Don't touch her!" Sayaka grabbed her former friend by the wrist and pulled it away from Madoka.

"I'll touch whoever I want!" Kyoko grabbed Sayaka's arm. The two wrestled for a moment, petulantly, like children before they pushed each other away. Both of them looked at each other, hurt and angry and part of each of them just wishing none of this had happened but realizing this had gone too far to stop now.

"I'm done" Kyoko said flatly and with finality, then turned and grabbed her things.

Madoka's eyes widened at the realization that Kyoko was leaving. Mami approached her former student, urgently pleading, "Kyoko, please. We need to stick together..."

"No" Kyoko sneered, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Kyoko-"

Kyoko rounded on Mami, enraged and sick of all the time she'd wasted here, "I didn't sign up for all this god crap, okay?! I should be at the arcade with a bag of brownie bites in my jacket!" she pointed at Madoka, "I'm tired of you" then at Sayaka, "I'm tired of you, I'm tired of Homura, and" she turned back to Mami, "And I can't believe _you're _going along with this kool-aid nonsense" Mami's frown deepened, and Kyoko's bafflement turned to disappointment, "Or maybe I can; you always were the mascot for chaining yourself to bad causes. Typical Mami" she turned to leave, not even bothering to look at any of them as she walked out of the campsite, "Have fun with your crusade or whatever".

Madoka began to panic. This was happening; this was really happening, "Kyoko!" she turned to Sayaka when the redhead just walked off, "Sayaka, say something to her! Please!"

Sayaka shrugged glumly, back to not bothering to give anyone eye contact, "Why? Running away's apparently all she's good for".

Kyoko froze, stopping in her tracks as she spun around at Sayaka. After everything; after the tearful confession in the labyrinth...this was how it ended. The bluenette realized she was being stared at and locked eyes with her. Kyoko frowned, "...You know what, you're right. I should have let you bite it again. Save me a whole lot of trouble".

"Maybe you should have!" Sayaka threw back.

"Fine!" Kyoko yelled, so deeply hurt.

"Fine!" Sayaka was the same.

"FINE!" they both shouted, before Kyoko tore off into the woods.

Madoka and Mami watched as Kyoko vanished into the encroaching darkness of the twilight, as the clouds in the sky grew darker. Madoka dropped to her knees, feeling a sudden crushing wave of guilt and self-loathing. What if Kyoko was right? What if she'd only made everything worse? What did she have to show for her efforts; universal armageddon?

Sayaka walked off, back to her isolated spot so she could ignore everyone.

"...Nagisa?" Mami asked, realizing another of their group had vanished in the chaos, "Nagisa?!" No answer; Mami gasped, "She's gone!"

Madoka stood back up, "Nagisa?!" she called, again to silence, "...She might have gone with Kyoko".

"Who needs them?" Sayaka grumbled, "We're better off without traitors weighing us down".

Mami prepared to retort, chastising Sayaka for being so flippant, but Sayaka glared right at her with rage and hate, _daring _her to challenge her. In the end she didn't say anything, not willing to get into another screaming match and risk losing yet another friend. Instead she decided to look for Nagisa, except...except everything she'd said to her charge came rushing back to Mami.

Did she even have the right to find Nagisa?

Mami's mind clouded over, uncertain of what to do, panicking at how bad everything had suddenly gotten, guilt over what she'd said even if she was right, lost and confused and having no support from either girl still with her: Sayaka pouting and Madoka just kind of looking listless and mildly shellshocked.

No. _No._ Mami couldn't afford to break now. She was the mentor, she was the glue. She had to keep everyone together. It was her purpose. She had to be strong so the others didn't have to be.

"Nagisa?!" she called, heading out into the dark and freezing rain.

* * *

She was better off on her own. Deep down she'd always known that after the death of her family, but for some reason Mami had always been able to convince her to at least stay within arms' length. Self defense against wraith swarms, after all.

But as Kyoko ran now, deeper into the forest without a goal or reason, she knew the others only made her weak. They tied her down. They forced her into commitments she didn't need to honor.

That was what she told herself, anyway. It was better this way. At least now she wouldn't hurt anyone anymore. How could she if she was alone?

Tears blinded her vision.

She'd thought...just this once...just this once she'd found someone who could understand. Who _got _her. Who could hang out at late hours at the arcade, or laugh at dumb jokes, or poke fun at each other, or...

But no.

"Kyoko!"

Kyoko stopped in her tracks at Nagisa's voice behind her. She turned; sure enough the squirt was standing a meter or two away, fully packed and just as drenched and cold as she was.

"...You shouldn't be here, Nagisa" Kyoko said evenly.

Nagisa looked down at the ground, "I don't belong there. I can't go back, not after..." not after what had been said, "...Please, take me with you".

For but a moment Kyoko almost did. She was desperate; as much as she told herself she was better alone the idea scared her. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop by herself in Mitakihara or Kazamino for a night or two was one thing but...being by herself in Tamriel? Forever?

This was her very last chance.

But...no.

"No" Kyoko said as harshly as she could, thankful the darkness and the rain obscured her crying.

Nagisa's face fell, "...Why? I thought...I thought on Solstheim..."

"This isn't Solstheim, and I'm not babysitting anymore. Go back".

Nagisa begged, "...I can't. Not after all that. Please, Kyoko-"

Kyoko hated begging. Too many bad memories. With a single fluid motion she knocked Nagisa on her ass and towered over her before slamming her spear into the mud next to her, nearly stabbing her hand in the process. Nagisa seized up in fear as Kyoko explained as coldly as she could, "Don't you get it yet!? Do you know how many magical girls I've fought? I'm _dangerous_! I _hurt _people!" That's all she ever did; get people killed.

"But-"

"Consider this your warning" Kyoko pulled her spear out of the dirt and aimed it right at Nagisa's neck, "Keep following me and I'll make sure Mami finds you in the morning with a bunch of broken limbs. Clear?" Kyoko wasn't going to be responsible for her. She was making a clean break and would never have to deal with any of this again.

Nagisa didn't really respond verbally; as Kyoko retracted her weapon her face bunched up in fear and betrayal. Kyoko was the one person she thought she could find safety in and yet she'd just had a spear thrust at her throat. Nagisa scooted away in the mud, never wavering in her eye contract on the redhead.

"...Go back to Mami. Don't follow me" Kyoko said, giving her one last look before running away into the darkness, once again ignoring her weeping eyes.

"Nagisa!?" Mami's voice sounded. Nagisa almost responded but...she couldn't, no. She couldn't go back. She couldn't go with Kyoko either. Being alone terrified her.

There was one other person that might let her tag along. One other person who might understand. One other person who was as much of a pariah as she was.

"Nagisa?!" Mami called again, a bit closer this time. Nagisa got up, brushing off the mud as best she could before fleeing from the search party.

She didn't know how, she didn't know where...but she was going to track down Homura.

* * *

Mami only gave up on finding Nagisa after around midnight, after several hours of intense searching. Madoka had guided the poor drenched, shivering, and crying girl back to camp and gotten her cleaned up. Mami hated it; she felt like a child, a complete role reversal of who she was supposed to be...but she couldn't do anything about it. She was so exhausted, and very quickly fell asleep with tears still in her eyes. Tomorrow they'd look again.

Madoka watched her doze off, then extinguished the flame in the campfire. She laid down to sleep herself but it never came. Off to her side she could hear Sayaka murmuring in distress—another of the endless stream of nightmares that had completely taken over her life. Occasionally Mami would sniffle in her sleep. Madoka couldn't help but keep replaying her confrontations with Homura and Kyoko—the latter's especially, as guilt and doubt ate away at her.

Was it really her fault? Who else's could it have been? Madoka was responsible for the end of the world. She was responsible for Sayaka, and Kyoko, and Mami, and Nagisa, and...and she'd failed Homura so utterly by not being able to save her. This suffering was no one's doing but her own.

_But God alone cannot have any of this._

She was hurting them by being here, by dragging them along on her quest. She loved each and every one of them and after an eternity of isolation it had been so indescribably good to see them again and just...be with them.

But Madoka was a goddess, even if she didn't have her powers right now. Maybe there'd been a reason why most gods in the old stories had never come down from heaven and just hung out with their followers, and when they did...it usually ended poorly.

Madoka sat up, wiping away the barest hints of tears as she resolutely decided on her course of action. She pulled out a pad of parchment she'd bought in Whiterun for sketching and a pen, then cast magelight for a bit of illumination before quickly jotting down a note to Sayaka and Mami. When she finished she tore it off from the rest of the pad and left it with Mami, making sure not to wake her before quietly grabbing her things, including the world shard (still wrapped in the bit of Sayaka's cloak that she'd torn off) and Valtir's map and letter.

She walked to the edge of the campsite where the drizzle was beginning to finally run out of steam. She pulled her cloak's hood over her head and looked back at her friends a final time with a heavy heart and a deep sadness.

"...I'm sorry. For everything".

And then Madoka Kaname walked out of their lives.

* * *

"She left".

It wasn't even a question; Sayaka just knew. Mami didn't even look up at her as she read the note, simply nodding numbly. She'd left.

Madoka had left.

When Mami was done she handed the letter to Sayaka who read it herself. "She wants us to go back to the College of Winterhold" Mami said, "She'll come get us when she's done. She took the shard and the letter with her".

Sayaka read the whole thing, then crumpled it up and tossed it. So, that was that; Sayaka was effectively fired. Madoka hadn't said it, but that was Madoka for you: too nice for her own good. The implications were clear though; Madoka no longer needed her.

Sayaka supposed she didn't have anyone to blame but herself. What a worthless thing she was. Why had Madoka even picked her in the first place? Why had Sayaka even thought for even an instant that she was worth enough to help with anything? No matter what she did, no matter which choice she made, it would always inevitably be the wrong one, no matter how much she tried or thought about it before hand.

She was Sayaka Miki, and if the last few months had proven anything, it was that she was _wrong _for simply existing in the first place. She should have never tried to be anything, because she would only make things worse.

"...What should we do?" Mami asked her, lost, "Should we...should we go after her?"

"Do whatever you want" Sayaka's tone was stony and flat as she gathered her things. There was no reason for her to be here anymore. There was no reason for her to be anywhere. She felt...empty.

Broken.

"...Sayaka?" Mami stood up in concern as Sayaka grabbed the last of her stuff, "...wait, where are you going?"

Sayaka shrugged as she turned to leave, "Who knows?" Maybe she'd find a ditch to die in; finally put herself out of everyone's misery.

"Sayaka, please" Mami began to panic. She followed Sayaka as her former student began to walk away, "We need to stick together. It's dangerous".

"Who cares?" Sayaka said emotionlessly, not stopping for an instant. In fact, she sped up her walking.

Mami attempted her best authority voice, but it was much weaker than usual, and far more desperate as she deeply, _deeply _feared being alone, "Sayaka! Friends are supposed to stick together! Please, just-"

Sayaka finally stopped but did not turn around though her rage was evident enough through her voice alone, "Friends?! Friends don't _lie _to each other, Tomoe!" Mami flinched at the use of her last name as Sayaka's raw cried-out emotions tumbled out of her as she began to yell again. Abject humiliation and debasement and loss and regret and self-hatred and pain boiled over, "Friends don't let each other make complete and absolute _fools _out of themselves for over a month!" Sayaka's fists clenched tight, her arms virtually nailed to her sides as she tried (not entirely successfully) to keep her voice from wavering as tears threatened to burst out, "You're not my friend. I don't have any friends" Sayaka adjusted her bag and then beat a hasty retreat from the shocked and broken Mami, "...Maybe I don't deserve any" she muttered to herself.

Mami watched her last companion wander off, vanishing in the thick morning fog. With a hitched and shaky breath she tried to steady herself as she looked back at the empty and vacated campsite which just last night had housed all of them.

She was alone. They'd left her.

She was alone.

Mami walked over to the rock wall. She leaned against it and dropped to the cold ground, shock overcoming her, then grief and fear. Slowly she curled up into a ball.

And then she broke and began to quietly sob.

* * *

"_Lorkhan...__**understood**. All too often we try to define ourselves by what we are. This is how the Elves would prefer to see the world: as a static definition, a series of laws and order"._

* * *

Homura raced through the forest, looking for some clue, some sign of Madoka. Of _course_ she'd left during the middle of the night. Homura had told Madoka very clearly to stick close to her friends for protection, so of course in true Madoka fashion she'd immediately disregarded her, ditched them and wandered off alone.

_Sigh._

It would have been almost funny if it wasn't so irritatingly tragic.

What else could Homura have expected?! She cursed herself for not waking up every hour to check on the campsite just in case. She was just lucky that Ambroise had tipped her off that the Psijic Order wanted to see Madoka in Riften, so worst case scenario if Homura couldn't find her trail then she'd just track her down when she reached the city.

Silver lining at least; Miki and Mami's absences were a mixed bag. At least now they wouldn't be constantly self-destructing and pushing Madoka into dangerous situations. Maybe once Homura caught up with her again she could guide her more easily without such volatile influences.

Somehow.

Yet at the same time, again, she was _alone._ Homura sighed; she really wished she could have gotten Madoka better friends. Hitomi always seemed like she'd had her head on straight. Nagisa too. But apparently Nagisa and Kyoko had both high-tailed it to who knew where and Homura didn't have the resources to look for them, so _whatever._ As usual Homura could only rely on herself, everyone else was borderline useless at best.

Honestly; how weak-willed did they have to be to implode like that?

She didn't notice, but Sheogorath watched from the shadows with a wide grin as she ran past.

* * *

"_But the truth is that the more things you are, the less you become. Mix every color of paint together on a pallet and there's no color at all. Try to master every trade and you won't succeed at any. Just ask Vehk"._

"_This is the essence of Anu; of stasis. Everything is nothing; it is static, formless, empty. This is what the world was like before Lorkhan, before creation. Before he forced things apart and set rules and limitations."_

* * *

Riften was not a nice city, Madoka decided as she resisted a shiver from the ever-present cold, wet weather that had descended. It was run-down, filthy, and damp. It was less a city and more just a collection of ramshackle wooden huts sitting over an open sewer system. The canals that ran under the streets and flowed out into the lake were rank, and none of the people she walked past would give her the time of day and she was constantly worried someone was going to try and rob her—she made sure to stay in well-traveled areas.

Even the vaunted aspen forests of The Rift weren't up to expectations; as it turned out Madoka had been a week too late; by the time she arrived in The Rift most of the leaves had fallen, so instead of glorious golden wood as far as the eye could see, she got a spooky fog-ridden forest. A pity, considering Nagisa had wanted to see it so bad. Honestly, that felt like metaphor for something.

Ultimately, Madoka thought Whiterun and Solitude had both been much nicer.

...She'd been with her friends then, too.

Madoka shoved those thoughts aside; this wasn't about what would be nice for her. This was about her duty, and she had a job to do. She arrived at the inn she'd been told about. It was...okay, she supposed. The wood was rotting and it was in desperate need of repair, but not really any more-so than the rest of the town.

* * *

"_In truth, we are not defined by what we are, but by what we are **not**. We are not our neighbor. We are not the air we breathe, or the ground we walk on, or the other people we surround ourselves with. We exist in separation of those concepts. This is the nature of Padomay, of disparity, of change"._

* * *

"Madoka!" Valtir said with relief as she approached his table in the inn's main tavern room. It was the same on the inside as the outside: dark, dank, and run-down, "Excellent. I was starting to worry. Come, sit down".

Madoka did as she was asked, and then hesitantly brought out the world shard, "I have it" she said quietly, before putting it back in her bag to avoid drawing attention.

Valtir nodded, "Good. Excellent; after what happened in Solitude I feared the worst. You have my sincere apologies; I didn't expect others to catch on so quickly".

"It's fine" Madoka said with her best attempt at a smile—it was faint, "You didn't know, and things turned out...they turned out fine, in the end".

He shook his head, "I should have come with you to ensure things went well; that's on me" he pulled out a map, "However, that's actually why I've called you here. We've tracked down another shard, in Morrowind, and..." he paused, then frowned when he realized something was wrong. He'd expected the other girls to arrive by now, but it was becoming increasingly clear Madoka had arrived alone, "...Where are your friends?"

Madoka opened her mouth to speak, found she didn't know what to say, and then just sort of...looked away in shame.

* * *

"_But nature abhors a vacuum, and so the same disparity that causes us to exist also creates what we feel as desire, the need to have what we aren't, and in turn we call that suffering"._

* * *

In the end she'd followed Sayaka. Mami had little else to do; she couldn't follow Madoka and she wasn't willing to go back to the College. And the more she trailed Sayaka (without her knowing of course) she more she knew she'd made the right choice; Sayaka was most certainly not doing alright. She hadn't been really moving in any particular direction, instead being mostly content to wander the forest aimlessly.

But the more Mami watched her, the more Mami realized there was nothing she could do for her—anything she did would risk angering Sayaka by alerting her to her presence, and Mami didn't want to suffer certain rejection a second time.

She was such a coward.

So instead Mami sat in the trees a short distance away as she listened to Sayaka's soft sobbing as the girl curled up against a rock in the cold weather, wrapped in her cloak. When Mami had seen her in Homura's labyrinth she'd been positively _radiant_, so proud and self-assured and in-control, in a way she'd never been before she'd died. But to see her now, to see just how much she'd failed her, it broke Mami's heart.

Tears fell from Mami's eyes too, as there was nothing she could do. Again, she'd failed her student, her friend.

She deserved to be alone.

* * *

"_To live then, is to suffer. It defines us as entities. We desire what we can't or shouldn't have, and we call it evil"._

* * *

Nagisa hadn't bought Homura's act for a second. After all the effort she'd put into her paradise for Madoka, there was no way she was going to just abandon her.

And that was good, because it turned out Nagisa's hunch had been correct: she'd found Homura's abandoned campsite a short distance from Mami and the others' just a few hours after it had been evacuated. And as Nagisa made her way to Riften with the expectation that Homura was still tracking Madoka, she found more barely-used campsites.

...At least, she thought they might have been campsites. The sudden cold snap had definitely encouraged Homura to start bothering with building fires.

It wasn't much of a trail, but it was enough. When she couldn't track Homura, she instead tracked Madoka, knowing her real objective wouldn't be far behind.

...She really hoped Homura would take her in; she'd been pleased with her work before, yes? if Homura rejected her, Nagisa wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do.

* * *

"_Desire makes us strive to reduce that suffering. We build farms, cities, and civilizations, we raise armies and invent new methods for making our lives easier. We overcome personal obstacles, become more than we were before."_

* * *

Kyoko awoke with a start. The dreams again; she'd had the odd one-off since arriving on Tamriel, but since splitting from the others they had begun to become more vibrant and memorable.

Sayaka had been there; why Kyoko didn't know. She was tired of Sayaka renting space in her head.

It was a...bus stop? Train station? Something. And then...something bad happened, she couldn't remember. That hadn't been how Sayaka had died though; she'd died in battle, hadn't she?

How annoying, but she knew deep down, somehow that it meant something. The others she'd had had meant something too. Bits of fighting Sayaka's mermaid...witch...thing. Arguing, fighting with Mami; a bad one, worse than the blowup from a few days ago.

She knew a few things about the Old World, bits and pieces Sayaka, Madoka, and Homura had let slip at different times but...that couldn't be possible, could it?

God damn it, she'd left to get away from all this nonsense! Why was it bothering her now!? She was just a kid, she was just Kyoko Sakura—she didn't have a role in all this cosmic bullshit!

With a grumble Kyoko got up; it was still early, but she knew she wouldn't be getting any more sleep and...well, now that her mind was made up time was of the essence. There was one person who could provide answers...and honestly, there was one person she still needed to yell at before she could break free and go her own way.

Kyoko had to find Homura.

* * *

"_But it's a thin line, isn't it? It's like rain. Too little suffering and we cannot grow, we cannot **become**. But too much, and we simply shatter under the crushing weight; washed away like we were never there._

* * *

Sayaka tossed and turned, trapped in nightmare after nightmare. She tried to sleep as little as possible, but even a magical girl body needed some amount of rest and she had to give in occasionally.

She hated it. Since Madoka had left the dreams had gotten so much worse; they were ever-present and nonstop, and even during the day Sayaka couldn't tell if the occasional terror in the corner of her eyes were from sleep deprivation or something worse.

What was wrong with her? Why was everything wrong with her?

Such a damaged piece of shit.

Every night the nightmares returned, and with every nightmare her soul was dragged just a little bit further down, drowning in the Quagmire as the Prince of nightmares gripped her in a cold and unforgiving embrace, her soul gem flickering in and out all the while.

* * *

"It's the paradox of life. But that is _why_ Lorkhan made the world" Wulf said as he watched Madoka and Valtir from a distance as they exited the Riften city gate. The old ex-soldier stood atop a jagged rockface jutting out of the forest, "He gave us limitations to overcome, challenges to improve ourselves, so that when we ascend once more we have risen above what we were before. So that that knowledge can be passed on to the next world we make. What the Elves call 'utopia', a perfect world where nothing changes or threatens us is just another form of death, because it strips away the reason _why_ we are" a gave a wane smile, "After all, one cannot truly appreciate the warmth of a roaring bonfire unless one has first been exposed to the freezing night".

Madoka gave Riften one last look as they left the city gates. Ahead of them lay the snowcapped Velothi mountains...and beyond that lay the mysterious and ash-shrouded lands of Morrowind.

"...Madoka?" the elder Altmer asked curiously.

Somewhere behind her, far away, were her friends that she'd left behind. Part of her wanted to call this off, to go back and find them and apologize but...no, this was for the best.

God's path was a lonely one, and she was used to it.

"Sorry" she said with a false smile as she turned and caught up with her companion, "Shall we?"

"All this high-minded idealism!" Sheogorarth said to Wulf as they watched the two travelers go. He flashed Wulf a smile, "When we both know Lorkhan was just batshit crazy; I'm proof enough of that! Make everyone greater by turning them lesser! Sacrifice everybody for a broken world that not even Magnus wanted to deal with! Hah! What a crock".

Wulf didn't turn from his gaze, "I suppose I shouldn't have expected a Daedra to understand".

"On the contrary" Sheogorath's voice became low and dangerous, "I know better than almost anyone".

Wulf smiled slightly at this, "Then I suppose I have to ask: what _is _your game here, Madgod?"

Sheogorath paced behind the old soldier, "Game? 'Wulf', my dear boy, I'm just helping things along! I thought you of all people would appreciate that".

"I'm always wary of a Daedra's schemes".

Sheogorath laughed, "Then I think you should be less worried about me, and more worried about _them_" he said, becoming uncharacteristically serious, "There's blood in the water; They'll _all _be coming now".

Wulf frowned, looking off in the direction Madoka was headed.

"I know".

* * *

Crystal-Like-Law. Once it had been a Tower, a fundamental spike in reality. It had been the underlying representation and definement of Altmeri culture within the Mundus and when it had fallen to Mehrunes Dagon's daedric armies in the Oblivion Crisis two and a half centuries ago...well, the collective psyche of the Summerset Isles suffered a blow it had never truly recovered from. The Oblivion Crisis had signaled the beginning of the end of the Third Tamrielic Empire, but for High Elves it had signaled the beginning of the Aldmeri Dominion, the new rising power that now claimed a solid fourth of the continent as its personal domain.

So it may have been poetic that while most inhabitants of the isles and in fact most of Tamriel assumed that the remains of the tower now lay empty as a silent memorial to what had been lost and could never truly be reclaimed, in truth the fortress beneath the tower had been converted into a clandestine Thalmor black-ops research and development complex—it was here that the Dominion would ensure nothing like this would ever happen again. There would never be another Oblivion Crisis, there would never be another Tiber Septim, there would never be another Dragonbreak.

The follies of man would be corrected and purged. It would be from here that the Dominion would reach out and take all of Tamriel for itself and ensure once and for all peace and prosperity.

And so like a metaphor for the Altmer people, while above-ground the ruins quietly gathered moss under the soft pink and green leaves of Summerset's perfectly-maintained and curated woodland, beneath lay sinister means wrapped in idealistic goals of perfection.

Deep, deep below the surface in the ancient pristine-white catacombs of the Aldmeri of old, Quorarion, clad in the black and foreboding robes and hood that designated members of the Thalmor, stood with his back to his new arrival, hands clasped behind his back as he studied the map of Tamriel he had on he wall behind his desk. Below on the counter lay the fruits of his task force's labor—a collection of what had been dubbed 'world shards'-including the first one that had been found a month and a half ago by a Dominion ship off the coast.

"He's dead". It wasn't even a question; Quorarion knew before his subordinate, a young male Bosmer, even told him anything. The results had been obvious even before the idiot had even attempted it.

"...Yes".

Quorarion sighed; Ambroise had been a troublesome informant in the best of times—too much ego and aggression, not enough diligence. Reachmen were always a notorious lot even with the low standards afforded to Men. Still, it still meant he had one less eye on the ground even if he hadn't been trustworthy. The middle-aged Altmer brushed his hand over the map. Resources would have to be reallocated to Skyrim, _again. _What a troublesome region.

The Council would not be pleased.

"We also believe Madoka Kaname is headed towards Morrowind".

Not unexpected; in fact he'd sort of expected the Psijic Order would guide her there, "Is that so?" Quorarion turned to his subordinate, "What's the status of our assets in the region?"

The subordinate flipped through a few pages on his clipboard, "House Sadras is on schedule, as is our..._other _assistant. She says Sadras isn't working fast enough for her needs though; she says she needs more souls for her experiment".

"Then make sure she gets them, top priority" Quorarion said, "And tell her she needs to be ready: Kaname is coming and she'll only get one shot at this. And make sure Sadras has operatives waiting for Kaname when she arrives; I want to know where she's going and when. I don't want her to sneeze without us knowing about it" he paused, "Remind them _not_ to engage" he added. Dunmer really were too much like men. They along with the Orcs would likely prove the hardest to bring back into the fold; even now they were having to woo Sadras with petty earthly requests for authority over Morrowind and revenge against House Redoran, so wrapped up in their mortal desires.

The subordinate nodded, "Yes sir". He didn't leave however, cluing Quorarion in.

"...Something else?"

"I..." the subordinate hesitated, "I don't wish to be insubordinate, sir".

Quorarion chuckled, sitting down in his seat, "Doubt is a virtue young mer, don't let anyone tell you differently. A cause that is built on faulty assumptions is doomed to failure from the start, no matter how much you may believe in it. Only through honesty and objective, rational thinking can we bring about positive change. And to do that, we must understand _why _we do things" he motioned to the Bosmer, "By all means, speak your mind".

The subordinate seemed to relax, "I just don't understand why we're bothering with any of...well, this. Shouldn't be more concerned about the upswing of Talos worship on the mainland, or the war in Nibenay? This feels like a vanity project. Er, no offense, sir".

A ghost of a knowing smile danced across the elder Altmer's lips, "None taken, kinsmer. Such opinions are common among new transfers when they start to realize what kind of esoteric occult nonsense we dabble in. And if I'm being honest, a few of our departments here likely _are _vanity projects, but they sometimes offer results so we're sort of obligated to keep them on the books. Look up our memospore archives on the Void Nights debacle sometime; it's quite a wild read and ended in more than a few resignations" he leaned forward, "To answer your question, if you would; what are the stated goals of the Thalmor, and the Aldmeri Dominion as a whole?"

The subordinate snapped to attention, reciting with driven purpose, "To bring about a return to the Merethic era; a time before the rise of man and man's follies. To restore Merish hegemony across Tamriel and guide it into a new golden age, and to bring our fallen Mer brethren back into the fold of enlightenment".

"Very good. Now, what about _our_ goals?"

A satisfied smile formed on the Bosmer's face, "To erase the upstart Talos from the Mythic, to undo his fortification of the wheel that keeps our souls bound to this plane. To remove the mistake that is Man not just from the world, but from the pattern of possibility so that the very idea of them can be forgotten and thereby never repeated. To uncoil the Dragon from linear time and bring about a return of the Dawn Era, when we and our ancestors were immortal and imperishable spirits forevermore".

Quorarion nodded in approval, "This world is imperfect and broken; a result of the hubris of the demon-we-shall-not-name and his wayward children called Man, and we Mer are but a pale shadow of what our forefathers were, shackled to these frail forms. But there are many ways to accomplish our end goals, and many more ways in which we can fail. What if I told you that in one possible course of events we pursued our mission as recklessly and without regard as the races of men who we hold in such poor regard? And that in our haste and anger, we toyed with forces we could not control and accidentally unleashed a monster we were powerless to stop?" He picked up a small object that had been resting on his table; orb-shaped, it was pitch black with ornate silver lining with a detailed insignia on top. It was the end result of the Thalmor's partnership with House Sadras and their experiments together.

She'd called it a 'grief seed', and to Quorarion it was the key to immortality, an unbinding of the soul and a possible method to the return to the Dawn...and paradise, "Madoka Kaname and Homura Akemi represent a new dynamic within the Aurbis, a new way of looking at things...and a solution for avoiding our own would-be mistakes".

"...What mistake would you be referring to, sir?"

Quorarion's brow furrowed in worry as he clutched the seed in his hand tighter. He'd seen the world burn. The erasure of Memory, the cracking of the Wheels of Lull, the breaking of the kalpic cycle of the wheel only to be replaced by the slow death brought upon by everlasting entropy. The very concept of the Altmer would be erased from the Mythic along with Man. They would have won, but their victory would taste more bitter than defeat.

The name burned in his mouth like ash. Such an unassuming term for the apocalypse. It was almost quaint.

"...Landfall".

**~ END OF BOOK ONE ~**


	19. 2x01: I was supposed to be better

_A/N: A bunch has been edited in book one, as I sort of wrote myself into a corner on a few things. Homura is now less aware of the implications of what she did to Sayaka. I had intended to show her guilt, but ironically it just made her look like an irredeemable monster instead of a complex but flawed character who made a terrible choice under stress, which was not my intent. Whoops._

* * *

**BOOK TWO: MORROWIND**

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER**

* * *

The Dunmer teenager ran down the darkened back alley of the street in absolute terror, the dim light from red paper lanterns the only things that lit his way in the twilight of the ashy sky above. He flew past the mud-brick buildings of the old former Hlaalu quarter of Ebonheart, fleeing from his pursuer and nearly knocking an older Dunmer who had been taking out the trash from the inn.

"Woah, watch where you're going!" the grumpy old mer told the teenager, as the latter nearly fell to the ground, stopping only long enough to glance at the mer he'd nearly run over before scrambling back up and resuming his flight. She wasn't there—he wasn't being followed. Had he lost her? Could he be so lucky? He turned the corner.

"Azura, save me" he whispered in fear, "Mephala, Boethiah, please!"

The Dunmer never saw the lance of magical energy coming. It cut through his upper leg and before he could even scream the boy fell in a crumpled heap into a pile of abandoned debris. He looked up.

There she was.

She was human; though the particular breed the Dunmer couldn't quite place. Nord? Something about her didn't feel entirely Nord, but that was the closest he could come up with. She had strawberry blond hair, blue eyes, and was about his age physically speaking—almost an adult but not quite. The Dunmer scrambled back, hissing at the pain in his leg as he tried to back into the wall behind him and his pursuer casually closed in.

"You really should have apologized to the innkeeper; that was quite rude" she told the dark elf with cheer, as if she was chastising a friend, "If my father had caught me doing that to the servants back home, I would have been punished".

"Don't...don't hurt me!" the mer said, panicked, "I'll give you anything you want! Just don't kill me, please!"

"Kill?" the girl snorted, "How melodramatic".

"...W-what?" the Dunmer asked hesitantly, pausing. Hope flared within him.

She chuckled as she crouched down in front of him. The Dunmer noticed an odd ring on her finger, and a silver insignia on her fingernail as her other hand reached for something in her pocket, "Do not worry, this will not hurt a bit. In fact, I am going to, how you say, do you a favor?"

She brought out a black Tamrielic soul gem. His eyes widened in terror as he realized in an instant what was about to happen. Her expression took on a dark teasing look, amused at her own joke.

The Dunmer screamed. And then, a moment later with a flash of light, the screaming abruptly stopped.

"It's unfortunate" the girl said, standing over the inert body and clutching the now glowing crystal, "You _were_ kind of handsome, in your own boring peasant way" she turned and left, tossing the crystal up and down in her hand, "But the Eternal Feminine waits for no woman".

* * *

It was an ugly creature; vaguely humanoid but misshapen, looking almost like a man who had been heavily caked in mounds of ash after being melted; but with glowing eyes of hellish fire and wielding a sword of the same substance glowing with a dim, smoldering red. The little Dunmer girl screamed as it approached as she had been backed into a corner against the overturned cart. It prepared to strike down at her.

Twin arrows of shining light struck through the backside of the monster, one blowing a hole through its abdomen, and the other piercing right through its chest and impacting the stone that had allowed it to live. The creature dissolved into a cloud of ash, raining to the ground even as Madoka turned her attention on another of the creatures which was terrorizing some of the adults—all Dunmer. Another arrow of light cut through the monster as she rushed up to them. It was a nifty spell Valtir had taught her, and gave her a much-needed connection to her old powers.

"Go, go! I'll cover you!" as if to prove her point, Madoka swung back around at three more of what Valtir had termed 'ash spawn' as the civilians fled, the mother grabbing her child before running. As they left, one of the others grabbed the downed Redoran soldier who had been providing guard duty—his leg was cut open and he himself was unconscious.

The first part of Valtir and her journey through the Velothi pass into Morrowind hadn't been that hard, all things considered. The aspen forest of the Rift had gradually given way to narrow stoney walkways and then to ash-ridden wasteland as the sky had become increasingly dark and ash-choked. But once the ash had built up enough they'd started encountering these...things. After dispatching a handful they'd encountered a large group attacking a party of travelers headed for Silgrad Tower, to which Madoka had instantly thrown herself into the fray while Valtir had moved to clear the path ahead so the travelers could escape.

She knocked the heart stone keeping one alive out of its body, reducing it to its component parts, before being forced to use her bow to block another's sword. She swung around, landing her boot right in its side as she then dodged the third's swipe. Madoka parried, then launched an arrow right in its face. Thinking quick, Madoka pulled out a dagger and stabbed the heart stone in the second's chest and tore it out of its body. By now the third and now last ash spawn had rebounded, forcing Madoka to dodge several quick swipes before she managed to take it down as well.

Madoka took a moment to breath and take stock of the situation. The area was clear and she was the only one left. Double checking to make sure she then rushed ahead, hoping Valtir and the travelers were okay.

Upon arrival she found her fears evaporating; a number of ash spawn were approaching, but Valtir already had the situation well-in-hand. He stood ahead of the civilians and with a wave of his arms he stopped the force by calling up a miniature ash storm of his own, the wind circling around the ash spawn as it closed in. The force sanded away the ash spawn until they were nothing, and as the wind died down and the ash subsided, Madoka could see there was nothing left of the creatures but a series of faintly-glowing heart stones.

Sighing with relief, Madoka turned back to the small crowd, "Are you all alright? Is anyone injured?"

"Just...just our guard" one of them said. He was crouched, kneeling next to the guard in question. The Redoran's helmet had been lost, but otherwise he was still fully dressed in the yellowish heavy bug armor that looked so alien to Madoka. She knelt down beside him and began to work a basic level healing spell as the guard explained.

"They ambushed us good. Barely got a swing out before one was ontop of me".

"I'm not an expert healer I'm afraid" Madoka said as she worked, inwardly wishing Sayaka or Mami were here for this, "But I think I can patch you up enough to get you to Silgrad".

"Are you going there too?" the mother asked hopefully.

Madoka nodded, "We can travel together, if you'd like". The travelers all looked relieved. Madoka glanced back at Valtir who nodded with approval. He knelt down beside her and took over healing duties.

"Strength in numbers is always preferred. Besides" the wizard looked up at the murky sky, "It's getting dark, and we likely won't reach town tonight".

The cart-driver looked back at the toppled cart up the path with all of the supplies and goods littered on the ground and sighed, "...It'll probably take hours to fix the cart and get everything back together anyway".

"Merchant?" Valtir asked him.

The driver nodded, "Riften to Silgrad's a lucrative business, if you can stomach the terrain. Lots of goods and people going back and forth, since it's the only reliable way between Skyrim and Morrowind. Unless you want to risk the Windhelm coast, that is". He sighed again, "Sadly, the route's been getting more and more dangerous as of late, what with the ash spawn and bandits and all. It's why I started hiring guards" he walked over to the cart, "...Great. Gonna have to take everything that's still in there out before we can flip it back over before I can see if anything with the cart is damaged. Gonna need to find Sugar too; she ran off when the fighting started. Hopefully she's not dead..."

Madoka walked over to the driver, "Oh, I can help with that!"

The driver gave her a _look_, "Er, I'm not doubting your martial prowess, but that cart and everything in it is several hundred pounds of-" the words died in his throat as Madoka reached down and with a strained grunt flipped the cart upright without help, "...Huh".

"I'm uh...strong for my age" Madoka said bashfully at the looks she was getting.

* * *

With Madoka and Valtir's help it actually hadn't taken that much time to get everything together and back on the road, and so the driver decided to get a few more miles in before dark; if for no other reason than to find a more strategic spot to camp at. Despite the driver's insistence for the heroes of the hour to sit up front, Madoka had chosen to hide out in the very back of the cart, and seemed to be ruminating as she watched the ashen-gray rocky landscape pass by around her. She wasn't really in the right state of mind for idle conversation. She hadn't been since she'd left the others, really. Madoka cringed; she'd dragged them all over Skyrim because of her mistakes, never once thinking about what they wanted, never once thinking how much she was hurting them by making them tag along.

This was all her fault. Kyoko's words echoed through her head. She really was so useless. They had been just fine without her around before all this, why did she think she would be able to insert herself like nothing had ever changed?

And Homura… Homura…

She hadn't wanted to believe Sayaka and Mami, and even here and now when she'd seen it with her own eyes, part of Madoka refused to believe it. It didn't make sense; after everything why would Homura have just gone 'evil'? How did that even make sense? She'd torn her apart, but then built a paradise for her...but then she'd essentially broken up with her when she said they'd be enemies one day, and then...and then everything had gone to hell.

Why had she tried to smash the world shard? And why did she stop?

Why had she gloated about everything?

It was something Madoka must have done, she knew that. She must have done something unforgivable to Homura to make her hate her, and she didn't know what. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what Homura's goal was.

And the hilarious thing was, once upon a time she would have known instantly. Madoka had once been a god, enlightened and (almost) omniscient. She had been everywhere and nowhere all at once, seeing all of space and time in one eternal instant and now…

And now she was just one exhausted teenager with faded memories of that time who felt like she was being pulled in too many directions at once. Every time she focused on one thing everything else would proverbially catch fire and burn down around her.

Why couldn't she be the person everyone needed her to be?

Case in point; the world shard. A fragment of her world containing over a million souls. A million. From a planet containing close to eight _billion_.

And how many other civilization-baring worlds had there been?

The creeping dread of despair bubbled up inside her before she shoved it back down. She was going to get through this. One world shard was in her pack, which meant she could get the others. Time didn't matter; she'd already witnessed eternity.

Such a long and bottomless eternity.

No, no. Don't think like that. It was like mom had always said; one problem at a time. Focus on getting the next shard, and then the next, and then the next.

Okay, maybe she wanted to have a conversation with someone after all, if for no other reason than to get her mind off the looming existential terror.

"...What exactly are ash spawn?" she asked Valtir, sitting across from her.

"Hm?" Valtir asked, turning from his own thoughts, "A type of artificial construct. Necromancers and other wizards use the power of heart stones to give a sort of life to the ash around them, often using a corpse as a base".

"Heart stones?" Madoka asked.

Valtir thought for a moment, "...How much do you know about the creation of this world?"

She and the others had gone through some of the books Valtir had given them during their travels, but a lot of the more metaphysical stuff had gone right in Madoka's ear and out the other. It sounded largely like a lot of complicated nonsense, and this was coming from someone who had _been _a god, "...Not much, I'm afraid. Sorry" she scratched her head in slight embarrassment, "I kinda zoned out during those chapters".

The Altmer gave a soft chuckle, "It's quite alright, it's complicated subject with many different versions and many different opinions. In some ways it's _impossible _to explain creation because it happened before time was bound. Everything happened, and nothing happened all at once" he paused, thinking, "...We call the Aedra as such because as our ancestors they created the Mundus. The Daedra are called as such because they were not our ancestors and did not participate in creation. The Magna-Ge or 'Star Orphans' were those who fled the Mundus mid-creation and abandoned this realm entirely. But the truth is they are mortal distinctions, false dichotomies we use to organize the chaos of Oblivion. In truth they are all Et'ada, original spirits born from the original conflict of Anu and Padomay, stasis and change. They were urges and concepts taken form. Azura, prince of dusk and dawn. Sheogorath, prince of madness. Mehrunes Dagon, prince of destruction and revolution. Mara, bringer of love. Magnus, bringer of magic. Auri-El, the dragon of time. And so on and so forth".

Valtir adjusted his sitting, "They built worlds of what they saw as everlasting perfection, realms that were merely extensions of themselves. Time was not bound or linear, and space had yet to take form. Metaphor was truth, and truth was metaphor. Eventually however, one barely-formed urge calling himself Lorkhan emerged with a scheme. He wanted to build the Mundus. The Mundus is different from the realms of the Daedra because it was more than just an extension of his will, it was a group project, with the ultimate intent of using it to transcend who they were and become _more _by allowing self-reflection and self-improvement. An Et'ada is bound to their sphere—try as he might, someone like Molag Bal can never be more than he is. The prince of domination and enslavement could never dabble in love or hope, for that is not his way any more than a rock can pretend to be water. But a mortal can learn and adapt, and see things from new points of view and experience things they otherwise might not have so that when they ascend once more they can glimpse the truth of the wheel that is the Aurbis. You yourself know this. You may be Hope, but as a mortal you know what it is to feel sorrow or despair, yes? It is much different than being born as a singular concept".

Madoka nodded and he continued, "The Mundus represented the creation of something _new, _and Lorkhan was convincing enough that a number of Et'ada agreed to support his efforts".

"The Aedra" Madoka said, keeping up.

Valtir nodded, "But creating something requires effort. It requires sacrifice. It requires _change, _and conflict, and strife. What happened next depends on who you talk to. The races of men, particularly Nords and Imperials...though the Akaviri also have their own unique positive spin, largely believe Lorkhan was benevolent in his goals, while we mer, particularly us Altmer and Bosmer, generally take a darker outlook. Either he did not know, or he neglected to inform the others, or he set it up as a trap to begin with...but either way, the effects of creation soon became apparent as the power of the Et'ada was ripped from them. Some died, others adapted to their new mortal forms or became the physical laws of the new world, and others fled before it got too bad, ripping holes in the barrier between Oblivion and Aetherius and forming the sun and stars".

This story seemed oddly familiar to Madoka. Why couldn't she place it? It was on the tip of her tongue.

Valtir continued, "War broke out between Lorkhan and Auri-El and those loyal to them—between those who embraced this new world and those who did not. The former became the ancestors of men, while the latter became the ancestors of mer. In the end, Lorkhan lost. His heart was ripped from his chest and he was torn in two. His immortal heart was thrown into Red Mountain while he was forced to wander his creation as a prisoner. The other Aedra then performed what damage control they could, and...well, the world as we know it today came to be".

"And the heart stones?" Madoka asked. She was still curious, even as a weird sense of deja-vu gnawed at her.

"Hah, apologies. I almost forgot" Valtir chastised himself for his own forgetfulness, "Two and a half centuries ago Red Mountain erupted and never stopped. Ash now covers all but the southernmost reaches of Morrowind, and debris from inside the volcano imbued with the power of Lorkhan's heart have come raining down. A few decades ago someone on Solstheim figured out how to utilize them for their profane rituals, and I suppose it was only a matter of time before others followed in their footsteps".

"...You think someone's targeting us?" Madoka asked, suddenly tense. The last thing she wanted was another Ambroise, but considering she didn't even know how Ambroise had known who she was, she'd been wondering for awhile if others were already after her. Valtir had floated the idea of the Thalmor, or the Daedric Princes.

Valtir shook his head, "No. With the decline of central authority in the border regions, there's been enough would-be wizards running around making a mess of things over the past few decades, and unlike undead, ash spawn tend to 'live' long after their master dies. The Velothi passes are full of them these days". A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke up again, "Actually, we'll probably be able to see Red Mountain once we reach Silgrad. It's well over a hundred miles away on the island of Vvardenfell, but it's so tall you'll be able to see it on the horizon assuming the ash storms aren't that bad. Second tallest mountain in Tamriel after the Throat of the World in Skyrim".

"Used to be the tallest" the mother said next to him sadly as she held her kid, "...Until the eruption".

Madoka mulled this over. "...So what about you?" she asked Valtir, "Do you think this world is a mistake?" Had _her_ world been a mistake?

The Altmer gave a sad smile, "Those of us in the Order tend to take a more...how shall we say, nuanced opinion than some of our brethren in the Thalmor or the Sapiarchs might be comfortable with. Altmer culture is obsessed with perfection that almost by definition can never be obtained, and we learn to 'suffer in dignity' at what we've lost—they believe that Lorkhan was a trickster who suckered us. But while Lorkhan's vision was dubious and ultimately fatally flawed, I do not believe it was _entirely_ without merit. Without change, without struggle we cannot become more than we were. The Mundus is in some respects a prison, though not as much as it might seem at first; though rare, a number of individuals have managed to ascend towards the heavens once more in a myriad of different methods and ways, and to varying degrees. Tiber Septim, as much as the Thalmor try to pretend he didn't. Mannimarco, as much as we _all _wish he hadn't. Auri-El himself, after the war. Most of the Aedra. The Ideal Masters. Vivec, according to Vivec himself at least" the wizard chuckled at a private joke, "The Dwemer, probably. Others. There's even some evidence to make the argument that the current Sheogorath is not the 'original', for all that means anything. It is rare, but in truth all you need is the right tools and mindset".

"...Do you think I can do it?" Madoka asked quietly. Valtir regarded her; she seemed uncharacteristically fragile at that moment. For the short time that he'd known her at the college she'd kept up a smile (even as tired as it was) almost constantly, and even on this trip to Morrowind there had been an underlying core of steel resolution to her. For as much as she sometimes acted like the teenager she looked like, Valtir could always tell there was something much older underneath.

...But right now she _really _looked like an unsure child in need of assurance.

"I believe that was the ultimate intention of the Mundus; to be able to self-reflect and rise above. So yes, I think you can" he said firmly. She gave the faintest of smiles before turning her attention back to the bleak greyish landscape, but said nothing more. For a moment Valtir considered asking her whether or not she was really sure about leaving her friends back in Skyrim—but ultimately decided not to as every time he'd tried to broach the topic she had uncharacteristically stonewalled him. She hadn't really shared the details of what had happened beyond that there had been some sort of argument, but ever since then Madoka had been adamant about not involving them in 'her mess', as she called it.

He didn't feel right about it.

Madoka perplexed him. Most who attempted to ascend (successful or otherwise) tended to be at least to some degree egotists. Talos, Mannimarco, Vivec…when this had all first happened Valtir had expected to encounter someone vain and self-serving. But the girl he saw before him wasn't anything like that. She put others first. She talked down about herself. She was honest and humble. She'd left her friends behind so they wouldn't get hurt even though they were likely fellow lesser aspects of her own divinity. Without them she was visibly diminished, lesser, like Clavicus Vile without his faithful Barbas.

And yet she was too stubborn to go back for them.

Hmm. Perhaps she was a bit more like her kin than he'd initially thought after all.

* * *

Following Sayaka hadn't been that hard, in retrospect. The poor girl hadn't been headed anywhere in particular, simply being 'content' to aimlessly wander in short spurts.

Or rather, she had been for the first few days. For the last three however, Sayaka had taken up residence within a small town calling itself Pargran; a settlement straddling the banks of the White River a couple days downstream from Valtheim, using the rough waters to power its many wood mills.

Well, 'residence'. In truth Sayaka was essentially a vagrant, spending her days aimlessly wandering the streets and outskirts of the town looking for odd jobs, and her downtime was spent behind whatever building the town guard didn't shoo her away from. Yesterday Mami had watched her attempt work at one of the wood mills carrying timber. It hadn't gone well when she'd used her enhanced strength to turn the log the wrong way and almost knocked the owner into the river. Other job attempts had gone similarly; either events had gone poorly or they hadn't been willing to hire some homeless Akaviri girl in the first place.

Case in point: Mami sat alone at a table at the otherwise abandoned patio to the side of the inn, resisting a shiver from the chill in the air when the door to the inn opened and Sayaka was unceremoniously tossed out.

"And stay out!" the grumpy-looking owner shouted as the unsteady girl fell face-first into the snow. Her armor and weapons were gone; Mami hadn't seen them since she'd caught up to her in town. Instead Sayaka wore a simple shirt and pants. As the door shut behind her she mumbled something to herself and walked off, dusting the snow off of her.

Mami didn't know what to do; she was so utterly lost and aimless. She'd followed Sayaka because she wanted to keep an eye on her onetime student and make sure she was okay...and because Sayaka was all she had left and she didn't want to be lost in this world all alone, but the longer she followed her, the more she realized there wasn't anything she _could _do. Sayaka was in no mood to accept anything from Mami; their last meeting had been proof enough of that. She couldn't offer Sayaka comfort, she couldn't offer her money or the room at the inn she was renting, or food…

Sayaka wasn't eating, and hadn't been for a few days. She wasn't sleeping anymore either, at least as far as Mami could tell. And...now it was snowing as well. Not a blizzard, but enough that over the last day two solid centimeters had accumulated. Right now Mami watched, trying her best to remain hidden and indistinct in case Sayaka looked at her. Her hood was up and she remained in the shadows as best she could while she kept an eye as Sayaka stumbled haphazardly over to the pawn shop on the other side of the street and sat down next to the side of the building in the alley. She bowed her head into her knees and Mami couldn't see her face.

Three days of this. Three days of Sayaka's increasingly feeble efforts. Each day she spent less and less time up and about. Each day she looked a little more worse for wear. Mami told herself it was fine; that she was imagining it, that things would turn around any minute, that it wasn't as bad as it looked, but the more Mami kept an eye on her, the more she began to realize as the knot in her stomach tightened despite her attempts at denial; she wasn't keeping an eye on Sayaka.

She was watching her die.

It felt so familiar, and that was...weird? Sayaka had died in battle by using up all her magic, and while the lead-up to it had been somewhat tumultuous, it hadn't been like this. And yet, every night Mami caught glimpses of a spiraling Sayaka, of events that had never happened. At first she'd chalked it up to stress; she was worried about Sayaka and right now her life (what little there was of it) revolved around her former student—combine that with Sayaka and Madoka's stories about the prior timelines and of course she'd have some bad dreams.

But they didn't feel like normal dreams. While she couldn't remember too much, they felt too linear, too familiar.

She was never able to save Sayaka in those dreams either.

Mami sighed, putting her head in her hands. She was such a failure. Such a coward. She'd driven everyone else away. Kyoko was furious with her, as was Nagisa.

She thought about getting up and marching right on over to Sayaka this instant and either slapping her to her senses or giving her a hug whether she wanted it or not. Mami almost did; every few moments she got halfway to her feet before losing her nerve once again and melting back into a puddle of self-loathing. Sayaka would never accept her help, and Mami would only make things worse by trying to force it.

She issued a noise that was half a groan, half a whimper.

"You seem torn about something".

The familiar voice took Mami a second to recognize, but as she turned around she found someone she never expected to see here.

"Wulf!" she exclaimed in surprise.

The gentle old man nodded with a smile, "Fancy seeing you here! It's a smaller world than one might think".

Mami's mind hit a pothole, "But...how...why aren't you…" Frost Creek was weeks away from where they were, on the other side of Skyrim!

He chuckled, sitting down next to her, "The winters in northern Skyrim are becoming a bit much in my old age. And seeing you and your friends off got me thinking about my younger years and how I've missed traveling" he took a deep breath of the cold air, "I love Tamriel, and I want to see it at least once more; this time as a free spirit instead of a soldier".

Mami let out a wane smile, "I'm glad you're getting a chance to do what you want".

Another chuckle, "We should all be so lucky" he turned to her, "What about you? I don't see anyone with you. Did you find your friends?"

Mami couldn't help but steal a glance at Sayaka's slumped and unmoving form up against the side of the other building, "We did but..." she frowned, "There was a...fight, I suppose. We all sort of broke up".

He frowned, "Well, that's no good. I know all too well how rough it can be to fall out with those closest to you" he nodded at Sayaka who was currently looking up at the snowing sky, "But at least you're not alone. And she's awake this time!"

Mami looked down in shame, "We're...not exactly on speaking terms" when Wulf gave her an expectant look she reluctantly continued, "I've been following her. She's not okay. She's not eating, she's not sleeping. I thought I could help her, but there's nothing I can do" her voice hitched a bit as her hands clenched. She closed her eyes and took a breath to get herself under control. She wasn't going to crack here, "...I'm sorry. I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems".

"Don't be, I'm the one who asked" Wulf glanced over at the blue-haired girl, "So you're not going to do anything?"

Mami slumped over, "She wouldn't accept my help even if I asked. Not that she wouldn't be in her rights". The old man gave Mami an odd look. Mami sighed, "I betrayed her. One of our friends...allowed someone else to do some awful things to Sayaka. And I...I covered it up" she closed her eyes in disgust, "I let them lie to keep the peace, because I was afraid of what would happen.".

"So you were trying to protect her".

"No. I was a coward" Mami said quietly, "And now she almost certainly hates me".

"So what will you do now?"

Mami shook her head, still looking down at the table "...I don't know". She felt so lost. Everything she had done to try and keep everyone together had just made things worse and now she was confused and uncertain and...it was weird; Mami was so used to adults not really existing in her life aside from distant teachers who she never saw outside of class. She was so used to running things and making all the choices herself and always making the correct calls. But here she was just...she was so far in over her head.

She wasn't in control and she hated it.

It made the next words out of her mouth even more alien, because she suddenly felt like a child again, asking an adult for advice, "...What do you think I should do?"

Wulf looked over at where Sayaka's head was once again bowed and pressed against her knees, her face hidden. "Well, as I see it you have three choices. You could simply leave; give up, accept she will never take your hand, and move on with your life. She is no longer your responsibility" Mami's distaste at that option was palpable, "The second is to wait around, follow her indefinitely. By what you've told me and what I can see...I don't think you will be waiting very long" he said, his voice turning dark. Mami shivered. "The third, obviously, is to help her".

"What if she doesn't want me to?" Mami asked, despondent. What if she just made things worse between them? What if she broke things irrevocably by sticking her nose in where it didn't belong? If she just waited maybe Sayaka would come to her senses. If she got involved now and tried to force Sayaka to stay with her it would end in a fight.

...Why did that feel so familiar? It felt like she was thinking from experience, but...no, she couldn't place it, aside from maybe a vague association with Kyoko, which didn't track. Or rather, hadn't tracked until this past week.

What a mess.

"So you won't even try then?"

Mami's fingers clenched together tighter. "...I didn't say that". She didn't want to be alone. At least like this Sayaka was still within arm's reach. It was safe.

...Was she just using Sayaka as a crutch? She really was a coward.

"But it's what you're telling me" Wulf said. As Mami shrunk further in her shame Wulf pressed on, "Would you be able to live with yourself if you didn't?"

Mami repressed the image of her parents bleeding out in the toppled-over car.

"No".

Wulf nodded towards Sayaka, "Then you had better hurry. I think she's about to make your choice for you".

Mami looked over at where a town guard was shooing Sayaka away for loitering. The former Herald stood up with a bit of unsteadiness and walked off, heading towards the riverbank with more purpose than she'd had in days; this was it, wasn't it? Mami watched for a moment, frozen in place as fear and denial wrestled with dawning horror.

"...What if I make things worse?" she asked.

"What if they're already worse?" he answered. Sayaka stood over the river, and slowly pulled the ring off her finger.

Mami had never moved so fast in her entire life.

* * *

The sound of the white rapids below the wooden overlook combined with the cold, crisp air and the white blanket that covered the ground was actually kind of soothing in its own way. It was almost white noise; calm and peaceful in a way Sayaka hadn't felt since leaving the Law of Cycles. She leaned on the railing, watching the operators of the wood mill next door do their work. Snow slowly drifted down from the bleak, gray sky.

This was a much better place than the train station.

She looked down at the soul gem in her hand. It was as pristine and brightly azure as the day she'd gotten it without even a touch of darkness—almost a mockery of how everything around her felt.

Sayaka had thought about it before, but she hadn't been sure, some residual self-preservation instinct had been holding her back. When she'd come to this town she'd had some silly idea in her head of settling down, getting a job and just...exiling herself. Hiding away here where the others couldn't find her so she couldn't mess things up. But things...things weren't getting better. There was nowhere left to go; she was penniless and alone in a hostile world, and all she'd succeeded in doing was make things worse for everyone. Again.

Again.

_Again._

She wondered what it would be like. This time there was no Law of Cycles to catch her. No timeline shenanigans. No witch half-life. There were other gods here, would she end up in one of their afterlives? She hoped not to be honest, she just wanted it all to stop. She just wanted to sleep.

Sleep. Sleep sounded _so _good right now. Her tired eyes ached at the thought. Slumber within the Law of Cycles seemed like a far away fantasy too good for her. She wished this was all just a bad dream. She wished so hard. She'd close her eyes and then open them to find Madoka had woken her up because there was a job for her and she'd get to be Perfect Sayaka again, heroic and amazing and free of all her earthly sins.

Sayaka brought up the hand holding her soul gem, preparing to chuck it into the wild waters below and have it dash against the rocks. She couldn't make herself better, but she could at least take herself out of the equation. It was the absolute best thing she could do for everyone.

A warm hand gently but firmly grasped her wrist. Sayaka gasped in surprise and turned to see her one-time mentor.

"...Mami? Why are...what are you doing here?"

"Sayaka...please" Mami tried with a hint of desperation leaking through as she knew she was but one throw away from losing someone yet was entirely unprepared for this conversation, "I'm sorry, for everything, alright? Can we just...let's talk this out, please? We can go back to the inn and-"

Sayaka gave her a look of surprise before shifting into a bitter, knowing smile as she turned away again with a calm, quiet voice, "Trust me, it's better this way for everybody. I'm sorry for yelling at you, yeah? I shouldn't have done that. It's kind of a bad habit of mine".

"Sayaka-"

But Sayaka wasn't interested in letting Mami talk. Words began to fumble out of her mouth, still eerily calm and quiet, "Go find Madoka; she shouldn't be alone, especially with everyone after her. Tell her I was sorry I wasn't good enough". She tried to pull her arm free, "Please, let go".

Mami gripped the hand holding Sayaka's gem tighter, "I can't do that. We should find her together. Please, don't do this" she was pleading now, "There's no Law of Cycles this time".

"Good. Less chance for me to make another mess of things".

"You didn't make a mess of-"

"Everyone's dead because of me. Because I couldn't do my job. I ruined everything Madoka sacrificed herself for".

"Sayaka-"

"She must _hate _me" Madoka would never dare verbalize it out-loud, Sayaka knew, "She gave me a second chance and I messed everything up even worse and I can't _stop _messing up and-"

"Please, just listen-" Both girls' voices began to rise as they talked over each other.

"I'm such a worthless idiot".

"It's going to be alright-"

"NO!" Sayaka wheeled around on Mami in anger, ripping her hand out of Mami's grip as the emotions finally began to flow, "No, it's _not _alright! Nothing is alright! It's _never going to be _alright, and I'm sick and tired of pretending it is!" she was screaming now, "Everyone's _dead _because I wasn't good enough, my best friend sold me out to the devil so I could spend three weeks in the Transfer Student's private hell, my other best friend up and _left _because I was too much trouble, and you lied to me for a _month _because you _knew _that I'd mess things up if I knew!" Sayaka splayed her arms out with a sob that was poorly disguised as a laugh, "And lookie what happened, you were right! Everybody was right! The great Sayaka Miki strikes again!"

Sayaka turned her back to Mami, placing a hand on the railing as her voice again dropped to barely above that of a whisper, "...I was supposed to be better. I got over Kyosuke. I accepted my mistakes. I moved on. I thought...I thought that I could be worth something for _once_. That I could help pay Madoka back. But I'm not, and I don't deserve to be". Tears began to trickle down and she brushed them aside.

Mami's heart broke at the sight of the troubled girl. She cautiously approached Sayaka, gently gripping the other hand where her soul gem still resided, "I didn't lie to you because I thought you would mess things up" she said sadly, guilt coming out in full force, "I lied because I'm a coward. Because I was afraid, because I didn't know how to tell you without hurting you. I should have, and I'm sorry". Sayaka relaxed her grip, allowing Mami to take her gem from her. Mami breathed a sigh of relief as she pocketed the item, "You didn't make a mess of things. This isn't your fault".

"Eighty-seven" Sayaka's voice was dead and flat.

"...I'm sorry?" Mami asked, confused.

Sayaka's inhale was incredibly shaky, "That's the number of times I made a contract with Kyubey, because my dumbass self thought I could be a hero" Sayaka clarified, "Eighty-seven. I counted, I burned that number into my mind after Madoka saved me so that I'd never forget. Do you know how many of those times I turned into a witch?" She shivered at the memories; the id overtaking the ego, the dark and endless recursive self-hating thoughts that blocked out everything else, the self-made prison of madness and chaos. The swirling maelstrom of knowing something, everything was wrong, feeling it, but being only partially aware with a clouded mind and unable to articulate it and instead fumbling around in rage and sorrow, cursing herself to follow the same damned endless script for eternity.

"...No" Mami answered. She assumed by the way she was talking that the number was high though; half, maybe?

Something deep within her told her it was far more than that. This all felt so familiar.

Sayaka's voice warbled, "Seventy-six. The other eleven times I got 'lucky'. A lucky hit from Kyoko here, a lucky attack from a witch there. One time my soul gem rolled under a truck on the freeway. I usually ended up getting you or Kyoko or Madoka killed somehow, or turned into a witch" Sayaka paused, but just for a moment, "All I ever do is make things worse. I tried to be better, I thought I could be better. I thought I'd grown up. But everything I do just...leads me back here. I'm a mistake" she collapsed to her knees, holding on to the railing as she openly broke into sobbing.

Mami knelt down beside her in the snow, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, a look of empathetic worry on her face. Sayaka crumbled completely, leaning in to her as she bawled her eyes out. She'd lost everything; her role, her purpose, her happy ending. She'd lost Kyoko and Madoka. She'd lost the warm grace the Law of Cycles had provided—that ethereal link to the collective sum of magical girls that had always let Sayaka know everything was going to be okay. She'd lost her dignity and newfound self-respect. She'd been humiliated. She'd been broken.

She'd lost her redemption, and underneath it she'd found she was the exact same weak, worthless person filled with nothing but hatred and envy that she had always been before. Even though she knew how to avoid all the wrong moves, even though she knew how to be better...

Why couldn't she be worth something? Why couldn't she measure up?

She was a mistake. A blight that should never have been born.

"You're lucky, in a way" Sayaka said with a quiet, hollow tone after a few minutes when she'd calmed down some, "You don't have a hundred different versions of you in your head reminding you how much you suck".

Flashes of...something went through Mami's head. Memories she could almost...but no, when she reached for them they'd pull away. She shook them off, "I have a room at the inn" Mami said softly, "It's warm and there's food and a bed".

"What do I even do now?" Sayaka muttered, empty, "She left. She left because I'm worthless and in the way".

Mami hugged Sayaka tighter, holding onto her tightly as the last thing Mami had left to ground her to reality, "She left me behind too, so I suppose we can be worthless together, hm?" when Sayaka didn't respond Mami added, "We don't have to do anything right now. I have enough money to stay here until you're feeling better. Then we can make for the College and...and figure out where to go from there, alright?" Mami relaxed slightly; she was back on her home turf. She had a goal and someone to take care of, "Let's go back to the inn".

"Can't" Sayaka murmured quietly, "I'm kind of...banned from the inn".

Oh, right. "...What happened?" Mami asked, pulling away slightly to get a look at Sayaka.

A hint of embarrassment crept across Sayaka's face despite everything else, "...The wood mill didn't work out, so I...well, I thought I'd try being a bard. Turns out trying to sing Japanese covers of Beatles songs in Cyrodillic isn't a good idea".

Mami resisted the urge to smile at that amusing thought, "...I don't understand, how does that-"

"So one of the drunk guys there thought I was cute for 'one of them snake-girls' and one thing led to another and...well..." Sayaka sighed, leaning into Mami's chest again, "I might've broke his wrist".

Oh.

"...Turns out it was the owner's kid".

_Oh._

Despite herself, Mami failed to stifle a chuckle, immediately chastising herself for laughing at such a situation. But it was contagious, and Sayaka let out a tired chuckle of her own. Like a dam bursting, the two girls began to laugh; the kind of sobbing, quasi-hysterical laugh one could only make when faced with such a ludicrously, hilariously dire situation.

They stayed there like that for awhile.

* * *

Homura held the book 'Myths of Sheogorath' tightly as she read by the light of the fire. Since the Madgod's reveal, she'd been reading up on him as much as possible, trying to find some way to get rid of him. Maybe she could banish him, or trick him into leaving, or maybe there was some spell or magical ward or...

What she'd found was _not _comforting.

Tales of Sheogorath tricking mortals into horrible acts. How he'd 'invented music' by tearing a woman's internal organs out and shaping them into instruments. Turning entire cities into orgies of madness and chaos. Tricking other gods into sacrificing their champions to him in his name. Mass suicides. Victims clawing their eyes out or gutting themselves.

He was _madness_, and he was _very _interested in Homura, and while not as much he had also demonstrated interest in Madoka. And even if he wasn't here right this moment, she knew that as a god he was wherever he needed to be at any given moment. He was toying with her.

She gripped the book tighter and then with a frustrated grunt slammed the book shut. "I knew he was a snake and I still let him bite me" she seethed with anger. She'd known. The whole time, he'd asked leading questions, had shown abilities beyond a normal human, and had generally been a pain in her ass, and yet despite all the warnings she'd given herself she'd begun to let her guard down.

God _damn _it.

She was such an ignorant fool.

What even was the plan now? What was she even doing? She couldn't destroy the shards, and she had a malevolent god tailing her at all times. She'd considered trying to get another god involved but...no, that was too dangerous and risky, even for her. What were the chances they'd be even worse if their attention was brought to the table?

With an uncharacteristic burst of anger she chucked the book into the inky darkness beyond her makeshift campfire, strategically located a kilometer behind Madoka's campsite. Close enough she could intervene if something happened, but far enough away they wouldn't notice her.

She never heard the book land though. Homura blinked, looking in that direction as she heard footsteps. Out of the darkness a familiar redhead stepped into the light, holding the book and with a scowl on her face.

"...Kyoko" Homura said with slight surprise, inwardly sighing with relief, "I still have some leftovers from dinner, if you-" CRACK. She never saw Kyoko's fist coming as it impacted her jaw. Homura stumbled back, rubbing the wound. Ah, so this was how things were going to play out. "I...suppose I deser-" CRACK. Homura went down hard.

Kyoko cracked her knuckles as she stood over Homura. "Get up" she said, venom lacing her voice.

Homura rubbed her jaw, "Are you going to stop punching me?"

"Dunno" Kyoko replied with cold rage, "How about you stand back up and we find out?"

Homura cautiously got to her feet. Kyoko swung again, but this time Homura was prepared and caught her fist with her hand, "I think that's quite enough. What do you want, Kyoko?"

"Answers. I gotta lot of questions" she grumbled as Homura let go of her fist and she relaxed.

Homura's eyebrow rose, but said nothing as she motioned for Kyoko to sit before she did the same. Kyoko then proceeded to take the aforementioned leftovers from the pot next to the fire and began to stuff herself. For a moment she was silent, simply downing the food as quickly as possible. Homura couldn't tell if she was actually starving, or if she was just being Kyoko. When she finished she put the pot down and belched loudly.

"Ugh, thank god you can cook. Morrowind food sucks ass".

"You said you had questions?" Her chin was still throbbing.

Kyoko glared at Homura's impassive gaze, "Yeah, I do. Let's start with the simple ones" she leaned forward, fangs bared, "Where's my family?"

Homura blinked. Of all the questions, this...wasn't one she was prepared for, "Excuse me?"

"My family" Kyoko repeated, in no mood for jokes, "You were a god, right? Why didn't you or Madoka bring them back?"

Ah. That was what this was about. Homura sighed, "It...didn't work that way".

"Why not?"

Homura paused, "...Do you want the short or long explanation?"

"Whichever you think will make me happier".

A ghost of a smile danced on Homura's lips, "...Should I get the pop-up book then?"

Kyoko's initial surprise gave way to a single, dry chuckle despite her anger, "...You cheeky bitch".

Homura sobered, quietly thinking of how she wanted to approach this. Despite everything Kyoko was probably the closest thing she still had to a friend at this point, and despite her showing off to the group earlier, she didn't actually want to push this particular button of Kyoko's.

Her jaw wouldn't survive it.

"I'm waiting".

"I became a god a little under three months ago. Your family passed away years ago" Homura explained, "How did you expect me to bring them back?"

Kyoko gave her a look of disbelief, "You made a brand new world, what the hell-"

"No, I didn't". Kyoko's eyebrow arched and Homura sighed with exasperation, "When Madoka ascended her wish caused her to erase her own witch. The resulting paradox destroyed the universe and forced it to reboot, and Madoka—no, the Law of Cycles became a timeless, immutable concept irrevocably linked to every magical girl who ever lived or would live. I created no such paradox. My ascension was predicated purely on my desire to tear down the Law of Cycles and return Madoka Kaname to mortal form". It was funny, at least Homura thought so. Her original magical girl powers had been time-related, yet in her makeshift world she'd been a deity with unlimited cosmic power over all of space...but still bound by time. Meanwhile Madoka had been trapped as a timeless entity without the ability to physically exist within space.

Was there a law of physics that everything had to operate on some kind of dramatic irony?

Kyoko shook her head, "But...everything was different-"

"Nothing memory-wipes and an extension of my barrier over the entirety of creation couldn't accomplish". Homura had a slight wistful smile, "...I suppose I was more of a demiurge than anything".

"A demi-what-now?" Kyoko asked.

Homura gave her a look, "...Wasn't your father a priest?"

"Yeah, we were Anglican, not Voodoo" Kyoko said flatly.

"Gnostic, actually".

"Gesundheit".

Homura stared at her for a moment, not _entirely _sure Kyoko wasn't messing with her. "...If I could have, I would have. I'm sorry I couldn't. I did try; I thought that by undoing the Incubator contracts I could break the Law of Cycles for good".

"And?"

Homura shrugged, "I couldn't. For whatever reason, I couldn't undo anyone's wish. Even Madoka's. Perhaps it's a deeper magic than I was able to interfere with. It's why you're still a magical girl; I ultimately settled for simply making all of you forget that you were. Otherwise I would have erased the whole system and been done with it once and for all".

Kyoko leaned back in defeat, somewhat mollified, "...Okay. Well, at least you have a good excuse, unlike Madoka".

Homura frowned, her eyes narrowing, "...Come again?"

Kyoko eyed her, "What? It's true. She had all the power in the world and that's the best wish she could come up with?"

Homura responded tersly, "Madoka Kaname is _the_ singular reason you still draw breath and you need to show respect. Even Miki has the good sense to do that" she calmed herself, "...Any other wish likely would have ended with an even worse result. I'd have rather she'd never done it at all". The unintended implication that yes, she would rather have let Kyoko stay dead did not go unnoticed by the redhead.

Kyoko was taken somewhat aback by Homura's change in tone—none of this was adding up to how she'd acted back in her world or after the fight with Ambroise, but instead felt more like the Homura she'd known prior—still barely sane, but less uh...gleefully psychotic? And this sudden disdain when she'd spoken against Madoka? Yikes.

She'd been putting up a front before, and Kyoko didn't know why. God damn it, why were all her friends such drama queens?

"...So why not just wish to retcon the magical girl system in the first place?" she asked.

Homura gave her a flat expression, "...Yes, create an even bigger paradox that would likely have drawn in the entire universe instead of just her. I'm sure that wouldn't have been an unending, inescapable nightmare" she sighed, "Besides, for better or for worse, Madoka believes in the inherent goodness of free will and choice".

"And you don't" Kyoko correctly surmised. Homura nodded.

"Any other questions?"

Kyoko grumbled. Homura was always annoyingly good at shutting down conversation and making you feel like you were wrong for feeling emotions in the first place.

But then again, Kyoko had brought many more axes to grind. This had only been the warmup.

"Fine, yeah, okay. I got another question for you. What the _fuck_, Homura?"

"I'm...going to need you to clarify".

Kyoko stood up, glaring down at the girl on the other side of the fire, "Which part? The part where you cut me out of the loop and the next time I heard from you you were trying to commit suicide? The part where you _brainwashed _me? Or the part where you tortured Sayaka?!" she was becoming increasingly angry again.

Homura snorted indignantly, "Is that what she told you? Always the martyr. She was having a tantrum, so I put her in time-out. I would have let her out eventually, once she apologized and decided to behave. I'd hardly call that torture".

"'Time out'?" Kyoko's fists bunched up, "Time out?! She didn't have to tell me shit, Homura, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Homura looked at her oddly, "What are you-"

"You put _wraiths _in there! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Homura stood up, suddenly a bit more unsure of herself than a second before, "Only a handful. Enough to keep her busy so she didn't try to escape". She wanted to play hero? Let her play hero then.

Kyoko blinked, as if trying to parse the absolute, sheer _stupidity _of what she'd just heard leak out of Homura's noise hole, "_Wraiths_, Homura. In her soul gem" she waved her arms around, trying to get Homura to connect the dots, "What do wraiths eat, you dumbass?!"

Homura rolled her eyes, "It was under control. There were only a few, nothing she couldn't dispatch, and she was only in there a few-"

"-Weeks".

Homura blinked, uncomprehending, "What?"

"Weeks, Homura. She was in there for. _Weeks._ Me and Madoka had to dig her out of your little isolation field ourselves. Do you have any clue how many wraiths were in there when we found her?" Kyoko approached Homura, her voice low and cold, "Do you even know what you _did _to her?"

What? But...the isolation field shouldn't have… "...But, the isolation field should have dropped when I lost my powers". Didn't it?

"Oh well, I guess it didn't the memo _what the hell do you think happened, Homura?!"_

Homura almost didn't even want to know. "...How many-"

"Thousands. Some _big _ones, too. We nearly got eaten" Kyoko rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighing shakily at the memories, "God _damn _it_, _Homes".

Homura digested this. Or attempted to, anyway. It...this...this hadn't been intended. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Madoka was supposed to have a normal, happy life and her friends were supposed to be right there with her. Everything was supposed to be happy and fine and normal.

Why was that so hard?

It was Miki's fault, really. Wasn't it? How many second chances had she given her? How many options? She could have gone back home with Kyoko and everything would have been fine. Homura hadn't gone in intending for this to happen; really if Sayaka hadn't kept her distracted with her damned attempted coup Homura could have kept tabs on the situation and the universe wouldn't have imploded and _none of this would have happened._

Homura hadn't even wanted to do it; sure ruffling her feathers a bit and taking her down a notch was cathartic, but she had only wanted Sayaka to sit down and be quiet for once in her miserable life. But no, Miki had to force her hand.

Miki shouldn't have made her do it.

It was just the latest in the endless series of Homura warning her, only for Miki to immediately disregard her and get herself hurt.

...Right?

Guilt roiled under the surface. A few more drops to a sea of endless guilt and shame from a hundred timelines.

What was one more sin?

"I went to you because I thought you'd help!" Kyoko shouted, verging on screaming as he stress of the past few weeks finally caught up to her, "I just wanted her back home! Instead I spent the last month watching her slowly unravel! She doesn't eat, she barely sleeps, she has constant nightmares and keeps everything to herself and won't talk and now she hates me because what you did and it's _all your fault!" _she closed in, "And then you told her everything just to get a rise out of us! _What the fuck, Homura!?"_

Homura stepped back at the redhead's rage, "Well, you did make a deal with the-"

"Oh my god, If you finish that with 'devil', I will _never. Stop. Punching you"_. Kyoko was so sick and tired of all the bible shit. Why were all her friends like this? "What the hell made you think any of this was okay?!"

"I..." Homura looked away, "Things got...out of hand". An understatement, considering.

"_You don't say?!"_

"...What else was I supposed to do?" Homura asked hoarsely, the various facades cracking and fading for a moment, letting a hint of the fragility underneath to leak through. It was enough for Kyoko's pained rage to abate somewhat.

"You could have let us help!" Kyoko replied, hurt, "You could have let _me_ help, instead of all this cloak and dagger chessmaster bullshit. Christ, Homes. I didn't even know the universe was imploding until after I woke up here and had to fight a goddamn dragon!" her voice quieted with disappointment, "...I was supposed to be your friend".

Homura locked onto Kyoko with an expression the redhead couldn't quite place. Pain? Disbelief? Anger? "Help? How would you have been able to help?"

"...I guess we'll never know now, will we?"

Homura huffed derisively.

Kyoko glared, "...What? Is it really that hard to trust us?"

Homura gave her a cold, hard glare, "You appeared in Mitakihara sixty-eight times in the loops. Do you know how often you made it to Walpurgisnacht?"

"Uh...less than sixty-eight?" Kyoko ventured, attempting to remain lighthearted and irreverent even as something in the back of her mind itched. Ruined buildings. An ever-present laugh. The feeling of glass and metal imbedding into her shredded body as-

"Twelve. You managed to not die, turn into a witch, or leave town twelve measly times before Walpergisnacht arrived. Granted, that's still far more helpful than Mami's five or Miki's zero, and unlike them at least you..._usually _didn't end up getting anyone else killed in the process". Usually being the operative word; Kyoko had still let Oktavia kill Madoka twice due to her foolhardiness, to say nothing of the kill count during the handful of times Ophelia showed up. It was still way less than Mami or Miki's though.

Homura continued, "You want to know why I think free will is nonsense? Because I've seen it" she approached Kyoko with steel determination and now it was the redhead who was backing off, "It's all a lie. Free will doesn't exist. If left to your own devices you inevitably destroy yourselves every single time. You, Mami, Madoka, Sayaka. Every time. The circumstances may be different and the context might change, but at the end of the day you are all destined to make the same poor choices unless prevented. Your convictions, your ethics, your motives. None of them mean a damn thing".

_So for once, just give me a happy dream._

_It sucks to be alone, doesn't it?_

_You know about the food chain, right?_

Kyoko sputtered even as the half-remembered words of forgotten lives tried to reach out from the depths of her mind. They'd been increasing as of late, "So what, we're all just...pawns on a board to you?" anger boiled back up, "Who the hell gave you the right-"

"_I did_" Homura cut her off with a sharp tone, "I gave me the right. Right is determined by might. It is determined by who has the power, and nothing else. I had the power, and therefore I was right. You of all people should understand that".

"And now?"

"The struggle will continue until I am back in control".

The two regarded the other for a moment, fixed in an intense staring context as a cornucopia of emotions roiled between them.

"...Fine" Kyoko snarled, turning as she realized there was really nothing more to be said, "But you'll do it without me. I'm out. I'm not gonna be a piece on your fucked up chessboard".

"...Where are you going?" Homura asked her.

Kyoko shrugged, "Dunno. Gonna go steal some supplies in the next town, then might head south. Imperial City sounds nice. Anywhere that's not here" she turned her head back to Homura with a hurt but defiant look, "I'm not your pet dog, Homura". And with that Kyoko left, vanishing into the darkness of the night. Homura stood there for a moment before sighing with regret.

Her mind reeled with the implications of what Kyoko had told her. It explained why Miki had been downright rabid in their fight before outright _breaking _in fear—Homura had assumed it was just her overcompensating as usual, but…

Really, it was her own fault. If she hadn't gotten in the way none of this would have happened and they would have all been fine.

...Right?

She ignored a buried feeling of...vindication? Pleasure? That Miki had been smacked down _hard _because she'd had the ill-thought of provoking a god. Maybe she'd think twice next time. Maybe she'd finally been cowed. The image of Miki cowering on the ground before her after she'd won their fight in Valtheim passed through her mind, her expressions of pained rage and utter fear echoing.

Homura really was a monster.

"...You can come out now. She's gone".

Silence. Then, quietly Homura heard scurrying from behind a rock a few meters away. She turned slightly to see a sheepish Nagisa cautiously approaching the fire. Homura turned away again.

"Are you also here to yell at me?"

Nagisa rubbed her arm self-consciously, "I, er...no. I just..." she trailed off. Homura turned back.

"What?"

Nagisa took a deep breath, gathering her courage, "Can I...can I come with you?"

Homura blinked at the unexpected request, then frowned, "You should be with Madoka, and-"

"No. I don't..." her tone quieted in shame, "...I don't belong there. I don't really belong anywhere".

The former demon paused at the girl's admittance.

Nagisa continued when it became clear Homura wasn't going to respond, "I...I thought...I don't know what I thought. Of course I didn't belong there. What was I thinking? I betrayed them. I used them. I forced myself into their lives" she looked down at the ground in abject regret and sorrow, "They never knew me. Mami never knew me. It was all a lie so I could feel wanted".

Homura looked over at the empty pot as Nagisa's words resonated with her, "...Are you hungry?" she asked, "Kyoko finished off the leftovers, but I can make more".

Nagisa's stomach growled before she nodded in embarrassment, "I'm starving".

Homura nodded, motioned for the girl to sit down before she got to work preparing more food to eat, "...What do you want, Nagisa Momoe?"

Nagisa tilted her head, "Like, for dinner, or..."

"Why are you _here?_" Homura clarified.

Nagisa remained silent for a moment as she considered, "...I didn't want to be a magical girl" she said after collecting her thoughts, "I almost told him no. Even with how awful everything was, I didn't think a wish would be worth it. I knew there had to be some catch he wasn't telling me".

"...Why did you then?" Honestly Homura did not know. Nagisa had never told her, and she'd never really thought too much about the younger girl.

"My mom hated me. She blamed me for being in the hospital and dad leaving. And everything reached a fevered pitch that week and..." Nagisa sighed again, her breath shaky this time as she rubbed away tears, "It was a moment of spite. I wasted my wish just so I could prove to her that I could have saved her if I'd wanted to".

Oh. _Oh._

"I'm sorry".

"Don't be, it was my own fault" Nagisa bunched up into a ball for a moment as she got herself under control, "What do I want?" she looked at the fire, "...I want to be normal. I want to have a family to go home to. I want to go to school and have friends. I want to grow up" she looked at Homura, "I want what you gave me". A decision crystallized in her mind as her tone became firmer, "...I know you're still trying, somehow. I think you are, anyway. Right?" Homura looked away, giving Nagisa her answer, "I don't understand why you're doing the things you are, and I don't know if it's even possible but...I want to help you. If you'll have me".

Huh. Well, this was certainly an odd situation for Homura; someone actually freely offering their help instead of being railroaded by her. Then again, Nagisa had been _by far _the most outwardly helpful of the bunch. She'd been the only one Homura hadn't bothered to mindwipe; she'd been as mentally resistant to her efforts as Sayaka, yet she'd gone out of her way to maintain the illusion. She was friendly and helpful and…

A decision crystallized in Homura's mind. It had to fight her own doubts and worries and cynicism, but with the help of the fact that everything that Nagisa had said had resonated strongly with Homura, ultimately it won.

"You would sign yourself over to the devil?"

Nagisa weakly laughed, "I think I already did, yeah?"

Homura smiled thinly as she stirred the food, "...So you did. Welcome aboard then, Nagisa Momoe". Nagisa smiled back brightly, the first in weeks as the two shared a moment of reassurance.

"Ah, another recruit! Welcome!"

"AH!" Nagisa scrambled out of the way in sudden shock at the sound of an older gentlemen suddenly behind her. The middle-aged man with a beard and bright but chaotic outfit smiled down on her. "W-who-"

He bowed, "Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness, at your displeasure! Or pleasure, either or. I'm not choosy".

Nagisa looked up at him in shock, then at a facepalming Homura in a mixture of panic and confusion, "...A daedra?!"

"He won't leave" Homura groaned in exasperation.

"Why would I leave? I'm such good company" Sheogorath sat down between them, "This calls for a celebration! CHEESE FOR EVERYONE!"

Immediately, and against the expectations of Nagisa, it began to _rain cheese._ "I...you..." Nagisa managed to blurt out in bewilderment, before ravenous hunger overtook her and she began to collect as fast as she could, stuffing her mouth as she went.

It was delicious.

Homura sighed wearily as a falling cheese wheel knocked her on the head.

"Oh, fine, party pooper" Sheogorath replied with a snap, "Cheese for no-one".

The cheese immediately vanished. All of it; even the stuff Nagisa had been holding. She dropped to her knees in sudden grief at her empty arms, "But...but...there was cheese now..."

"Fine, fine. Cheese for some" Sheogorath snapped his fingers and the localized cheese weather resumed, "Little Colovian Flags for everyone else" he handed Homura a small novelty banner of a country she'd never seen before. He then caught sight of the book Kyoko had caught and left lying on the ground, "Oooh..." he grabbed it and leaned close to Homura as Nagisa stuffed herself, "You've been reading about me, huh?" he said, his voice low, "Which was your favorite story?"

When Homura's only response was a scowl as she continued to cook the food that was now highly superfluous, he replied, "Oooh, the silent treatment. I'll tell you right now, you can't get rid of madness by ignoring it. It's like a bad house-guest, it stays. Trust me, I've tried!" he brought an unwilling Homura into a side hug and she could swear she could hear an undercurrent of menace in his voice, "I'm here to stay. _Forever_".

* * *

_Madoka watched with trepidation as the shore of the lake and the cabin where her family was staying at over vacation got ever more distant. The eight-year-old was having second thoughts._

"_Madoka!" her best friend called to her from the other side of the small paddle boat. Sayaka gave her a playful nudge, a big smile on her face, "Hey, what's the deal? You stopped helping me row!"_

_She frowned, "...Aren't we out a little far? We should probably head back". She'd been all for the idea when they'd set out, bolstered by Sayaka's infectious bravado, but now that they were here she was having doubts._

_Sayaka pouted a bit, "Whaa? Your mom said it was fine, right? It's not that big of a lake anyway"._

"_It's bigger than you think" Madoka looked over the side into the inky blackness below, "...And deeper too"._

_Sayaka gave one last longing glance at the far side of the lake before relenting with a sigh, "Alright, alright. We'll go back, okay?"_

_Madoka gave a relieved smile, "Thanks, Sayaka"._

"_Hey, I always got your back. Wouldn't want you to get worried". Sayaka reached for her paddle—and screamed._

"_SAYAKA!" Madoka shouted as she watched her friend's wrist get grabbed by an inky black tendril reaching out of the water._

"_MADOKA! HELP!" Sayaka shouted back in fear, pulling on her wrist. Her bravado evaporated in an instant as more tendrils reached up and grabbed her, pulling her over the boat. She struggled and pulled back but it was too much and before Madoka could even reach her she was hanging over the side, halfway into the water as she held on for dear life—her grip slipping._

_Madoka reached for her, grabbing Sayaka's wrists. She was now fourteen, in her magical girl uniform—bloody and torn as she looked at Madoka with abject, primal terror._

"_Don't let her take me. She's got me, PLEASE DON'T-" a tendril wrapped over her mouth and yanked, and the last thing Madoka saw was Sayaka's terrified eyes vanishing under the surface as her grip on her friend's wrists faltered and broke._

"_SAYAKA!" Madoka screamed, reaching into the water only to find nothing._

* * *

"SAYAKA!" Madoka shrieked, jolting upright from her sleeping spot. She panted heavily, sweat running down her body as her wild eyes looked around for...for…

This wasn't the lake. She...Sayaka…

Right. No, right. This was Tamriel. Morrowind. Luckily her screams hadn't woken the rest of the group, though the guard on duty gave her an odd look. She waved him off with a bit of embarrassment.

Sayaka...Sayaka was probably back at the College by now. It was fine. She was fine. Madoka took a deep breath. The dream had felt so real.

She laid back down, trying to calm herself. Tomorrow they'd reach Silgrad, where according to Valtir another shard lay. She could definitely feel the pull—though it wasn' t quite as strong as the Mitakihara shard had been.

She didn't get back to sleep.

* * *

Sayaka shivered, huddled up against the wall of the cave she and Mami had decided to camp out in. That dream had been...it was…

It felt insane to say. It felt absolutely bonkers. But the more the nightmares happened, the more she couldn't help but reach a single inescapable conclusion.

Something in her dreams wanted her.

Sayaka curled up in a ball and waited for dawn, and for Mami to wake up so she wouldn't be alone. She should have destroyed her gem when she'd had the chance; Mami kept hold of it now. Stupid her; making Mami worry like this.

She wouldn't attempt to sleep again.

* * *

Madoka yawned, still tired from the night before. The cart jiggled and shook as they made their way down the mountain pass, now very close to Silgad Tower. Despite her attempts to reassure herself, she couldn't help but think back to that dream. It hadn't felt like a normal nightmare. It was…

No, no. It was fine. Sayaka was fine. When she returned to the College after all this, Madoka knew she'd find her hanging out and slacking off with that grin of hers and that she'd feel like a fool for worrying so much.

The cart turned the corner, and then Madoka saw it: Silgrad Tower.

Mud-brick buildings stacked on top of one another and separated by narrow winding streets, rising up in terraces up the mountainside towards the cliffs until it reached the settlement's namesake: a tall sleek tower of black obsidian reaching up several stories.

"Ah, Silgrad Tower" Valtir said, noting where Madoka's attention was, "One of the oldest Chimer settlements in Morrowind. They say the tower was placed here by the Daedric Prince Boethiah themself during the earliest days of colonization to help lead the Chimer to the best settlement locations. Silgrad was chosen for its valuable defensive position".

The cart entered the gates of the town, easily large enough to sustain several thousand people. They passed through the narrow streets, banners and paper lanterns hanging from the clotheslines that crisscrossed through the air. Ashen-skinned Dunmer showed off their wares from street corners, bathed in the yellow glow of the ash-ridden sky. Strange animals like a mixture of frogs and dinosaurs roamed the streets instead of horses.

Skyrim had seemed like a medieval fantasy, but Morrowind felt like an alien world; the only vegetation Madoka could see were odd looking root growth on the ground and the occasional giant mushroom jutting out of the rock walls. For as distant as Skyrim was from home, it had still had some things in common to ground her. Morrowind by contrast was nothing but unrelenting culture shock.

Huh. She could sort of see why Kyoko had just about lost her mind here.

Madoka said nothing until the cart came to a halt and they got off. She thanked the driver, then turned to the odd world she now found herself in.

"Ah, pardon sera. Are you Madoka Kaname?"

"Hm?" Madoka asked, turning to see an elderly Dunmer male in ornate temple robes. She blinked in surprise, "Er, yes. Sorry, do we know each other?"

"No, but I know _of _you" he said with a thin smile, "I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but our Lady has been expecting you".

Madoka noted Valtir tensing up at the mention. She asked the priest, "...Your 'lady'?"

"Yes, sera. The Queen of Dawn and Dusk, our Lady Azura; Prince of the twilight".


	20. 2x02: Regretting your wish, huh?

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: REGRETTING YOUR WISH, HUH?**

* * *

She hated Morrowind. She really, truly hated Morrowind.

Kyoko sighed, staring up at the ashen sky as she relaxed ontop of one of the mud-brick houses in 'downtown' Silgrad. It wasn't really a roof, instead it was a living space, complete with rugs, pots, and a door to the indoors—and surprisingly comfy, considering.

Still, she hated Morrowind. She'd hated it when she'd first landed in this world, and she hated it even more now. The dismal sky, the harsh and barren landscape, the awful people, the food…

So why hadn't she left? By now she should have 'procured' the supplies she was looking for and high-tailed out of here for Cyrodiil. She'd had every intention of doing so. For a week straight she'd been hunting down Homura with the intent of one last conversation, followed by bailing once and for all. She'd dreamed of it.

Freedom. She was free. She could do anything and no one could stop her. She didn't have to fight wraiths, or worry about replenishing her magic, or dealing with interpersonal drama or...anything. She was _free. _It was everything she'd ever wanted.

So why was she still here?

Her tense debate with Homura the night before had left her...well, drained. She didn't quite know what to do with herself. Kyoko had gone in intending to bust some heads, but a few minutes with Homura had quite annoyingly dismantled her entire reason for hating Madoka. Now instead of righteous fury she was just...empty. Confused.

And maybe feeling like just a bit of a bitch now, considering how she'd left the group. She'd burned every bridge on her way out, and now that she'd calmed down she was regretting it just a bit. Kyoko was still sure leaving was the correct path—she was tired of being stepped on, and ultimately none of this was her problem _despite _whatever those fragments of memories that were trickling in slowly tried to tell her. But still, she could have left the others without shoving her foot in her mouth like always.

Ugh.

Too late for that now.

She still hadn't gotten up.

Kyoko was loathe to admit it, but this was kind of a big step. She'd never _really _been on her own like what she was planning. Sure, she'd claimed herself as a loner after she lost her family, but Mami and later Sayaka and Homura were always right there in town if she needed help or a place to crash. Even when she'd come here she'd at least had Nagisa to count on to have her back. This past week she'd been on her own, but she'd also been tailing Homura who was in turn tailing Madoka.

But leaving everyone? Every last link she'd still had to her old world? Sure, she'd told Mami she didn't care that the world was gone, but that had been the bravado of having the others by her side.

If she left now, it was likely she'd never meet up with anyone ever again. She'd have no one to fall back on.

'_It sucks to be alone, doesn't it?'_

Fragments of memories trickled down from her dreams. She'd had the occasional flash or deja vu or weird dreams since coming here, but since she'd split from the others things had become increasingly more intense.

'_For once, just give me a happy dream'._

Things she'd never done. Conversations she'd never had.

It was hardly coherent or straightforward; really just bits and pieces that didn't quite fit together, but it was enough she couldn't ignore them anymore—and they lined up with her conversations with Sayaka, Homura, and Nagisa.

'_To be honest, it's getting to be a pain putting up with your obsessions'._

At first she wondered if it was something Madoka had done; the goddess tampering with her memories somehow, like how Homura had done as a way to draw her back in. But no, the more she thought about it and the more it trickled in, it was clear these were _real._ Homura's false memories were identifiable as fake when you knew what to look for: they were more like suggestions rather than accounts. You _remembered _that you had a memory, but if you tried to look at the memory itself it became fuzzy and flat, like a dream you only partially recalled.

These fragments on the other hand were visceral. She felt the emotions and trauma behind them, even if she didn't quite grasp the context.

'_I was stupid...so stupid'._

Why now? It was unfair; she was trying to leave this bullshit _behind_, not get even more wrapped up in it. Gods and alternate timelines; it was all way above her pay grade.

Kyoko uttered a long whining noise as she splayed herself out.

"...Shit sucks".

"...What the?!" An indignant voice coming from the doorway alerted Kyoko to unwelcome company. An irritated middle-aged Dunmer female, likely the owner of the hovel she was resting on, came out with sudden anger, "Get off my property, you filthy N'wah!" she grabbed a broom as Kyoko was already pulling herself up onto her feet.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" Kyoko shouted as the broom came down on her face, "Quit it!"

"Guards!" the woman shouted, still hitting the girl, "GUAAAAARDS!"

Well that wasn't good. "Oh, screw this" Kyoko leaped away, to the next house where an old Dunmer male was watering his garden. She landed in his bed of milk thistle.

"Hey!"

Now _deeply _embarrassed, Kyoko sprinted off with a half-assed apology, to the next house and the next until she threw herself down a back alley, vanishing from view.

Ugh. Kyoko _hated _Morrowind, but she was pretty sure Morrowind hated her first. Fine; first things first. She needed to get supplies for her journey, the sooner she left the sooner she'd never have to see this ash-ridden shithole ever again. She wasn't actually going to stock up _that _much, only enough to get back to southern Skyrim. There she'd get some real food for the rest of the trip.

Kyoko moved through the alleyway, debating where she wanted to rob, and how. Then she stopped—beyond the corner ahead she heard voices. The redhead peeked around the side of the building—there in an adjacent alley sat a large cart pulled by a guar. Three shifty-looking Dunmer were talking.

"What do we do with the stuff?"

"Leave it. We're just gonna go talk to the boss for a minute; no one's gonna mess with a food cart".

Food cart? Yeah, there were all sorts of assorted foods in open boxes lining the back of the overfilled cart. Huh, go figure. Maybe this would be way easier than Kyoko had thought.

Score!

Right on cue the trio of Dunmer entered the back door of one of the buildings, leaving Kyoko free to um...peruse the goods. Waiting a moment to make sure no one came back out, she then quickly hurried over to her target.

"Your donation to the Kyoko Sakura 'I don't give a fuck' fundraiser is much appreciated" Kyoko said with a grin as she hopped onto the cart and began to look over her her choices. Cooked bittergreen, no. Weird fried beetle things, no. Guar meat? Eh yeah sure, okay. Candied ash yams? Definitely. She hummed to herself in self-satisfaction as she tossed stuff into her pack.

Like taking candy from a baby.

Kyoko moved one of the boxes aside to get a better look at the food below...only to find that the food boxes only lined the top of the cart; beneath lay a much bigger crate. Her eyebrow rose.

"The hell?"

Taking a moment to debate whether or not she actually wanted to mess with this, curiosity got the best of her and she began moving food boxes out of the way so she could get a better look at the closed crate at the bottom. Hey, maybe it was where they kept their profits. Kinda big for a money box though, huh?

Kyoko pried the crate's lid off, easily breaking the lock with brute strength, and pulled it aside.

It wasn't money, to her disappointment.

It was...crystals? They were dark, almost purplish-black, and all well-ordered in separate cubby holes. In fact, they almost looked like…

Her mind flashed back to her lessons at the college as she picked one up to study it. These were like dark versions of those soul gems they'd decided to stay the hell away...from…

Black soul gems. The ones necromancers used to capture human souls. Kyoko tensed; she shouldn't be here, should she? This was some messed up shit she was looking at. The gem she held was glowing softly.

They were _all _glowing. Oh boy. Ooooh boy. Yeah, this wasn't good.

She almost bolted right there, but then she saw a small box in the corner. Hoping it was the money box she'd been looking for she opened it with the intent of taking it with her.

It still wasn't money. It was...uh…

She picked up the small orb she found inside. It was black with silver ornate highlights, with a spike coming out one end and a small ornament coming out the other.

It was so _very _familiar, almost hauntingly so. Like she'd held one of these repeatedly. It was on the tip of her tongue. It was…

_She pressed the grief seed against her soul gem, letting the corruption flow out of her. Kyoko tossed it aside, readying her spear against the poor newbie magical girl who had the bad sense to encroach on her turf-_

Kyoko sucked in a breath at the sudden memory.

Right. _Grief seeds._ The dormant forms of witches. But...but that would mean…

She looked back down at the collection of black Tamrielic soul gems, and the pieces of the puzzle started to come together.

Oh _fuck._

"...You gotta be shitting me". She didn't know how or why or any of the specifics, but whatever was going on she was pretty sure this was not where she wanted to be. Of all the carts to steal from, she had to find this one?!

"Hey, you!"

Whoops.

Kyoko turned, red-handed, to see the trio of Dunmer from before standing in front of the door. Discreetly she pocketed the grief seed before standing up.

"You think you can steal from us, you filthy Outlander?"

Another one stepped forward, noticing that Kyoko had been snooping where she shouldn't have been, "Bad choice, S'wit. Now you know too much".

Kyoko glared at them, "Y'know, I'm getting really tired of people insulting me and me not knowing what they—WOAH!" a thrown knife nearly sliced her ear off "Okay, murder time!" Kyoko jumped off the cart, flipping in midair before landing behind the three Dunmer, giving her a bit more space to work with. As they turned to face her and attack, Kyoko pulled out her spear, twirling it in a bit of practiced flash she'd picked up from Mami, and lunged forward.

They wanted a fight? They had one. She'd beat them senseless and then get some answers.

They were no match for her. Kyoko swung in, dodging each strike in turn as her spear acted like an extension of her body. She parried a sword strike, then turned and threw up a ward to deflect an incoming ice spell.

Unfortunately, the commotion outside caused more Dunmer to exit the back of the building, some of them in that weird bug armor, and pretty soon Kyoko saw herself facing down an entire gang.

Fine. The more, the merrier.

They came at her as an unorganized mob. She kicked off the wall, evading their blades as she jammed her spear forward, impaling one of the armored foes in the chest. She then used her superior strength to grab him and throw him into another Dunmer coming in from behind, before flipping back around, using her spear as a pole so she could land a kick into a third opponent. She gripped her spear, swinging it around wildly to give her some space before she launched a series of fireballs from her free hand at some of her enemies.

Another Dunmer came in from the side with his own spear. Distracted, Kyoko's weapon was successfully removed from her grip and it flew away. With a sneer she spun on her heels, her fireball spell converting into her fire fists as she tore into him. She knocked him away, before spin-kicking another enemy and slamming her foot into the head of her spear, causing it to jump off the ground and back into her hand. She was a dervish; graceful and deadly in equal measure.

That was when twin arrows struck her side, impaling her between the joints in her chitin armor. She yelped in sudden pain, looking up to see two archers in the back, already preparing their next shots. That wouldn't do; Kyoko moved to intercept, preparing to leap over the group between her and the archers.

She stumbled. Her body suddenly felt slow and sluggish, like she was wearing weights.

What the hell?!

She swung clumsily at the group in front of her, just before another volley of arrows imbedded themselves in her and her body began to fail her. Her limbs began to feel like they were being struck with pins and needles.

Poison?

No.

She ripped an arrow out of her side, grunting at the pain. Green magic flickered at the tip.

Paralysis. Kyoko's eyes widened. She had to get out of here. She had to-

The crowd wasn't even fighting her anymore. Another volley of arrows were incoming, which to her credit Kyoko managed to block with her spear. She had to get out of here. Any pretense of winning this fight was gone. Kyoko turned to flee, only to find she was blocked off in all directions by the dozen or so Dunmer she was fighting.

With a guttural, desperate roar Kyoko lunged forward with her spear, swinging wildly and clumsily at the group who parried her easily and knocked her back. She stumbled and an inescapable fact came to her as fear began to boil up inside of her.

She wasn't going to escape. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit.

_Shit._

Another volley struck her back. She tried to step forward once more, but by now she couldn't feel her legs. Or her arms. Or…

Kyoko stumbled, moving forward one last time before her legs gave out and she fell face-first into the dirt, her body completely immobilized. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she could only lay there face-down and listen.

"What should we do with her?" one of them asked, "Kill her?"

"Pretty good fighter for a kid. Maybe sell her to a fighter pit? I'm sure some Indoril or Dres family would pay good money for her".

"She's pretty too. Exotic, too. Probably fit in well in a harem somewhere. She'd probably be wasted as a plantation worker".

Slavery. They were talking about selling her into slavery. Kyoko was _indignant._ As soon as she was free-

"We'd have to cut out her tongue first, keep her from talking. Probably cut off her hands too, which really drives down the price. Really just easier to kill her here".

"Could just capture her soul. Bet she'd make a good test subject for the witch process".

A chill went down Kyoko's back at the sound of that, her eyes widening in sudden fear. Watching Homura turn into a witch had been equal parts heartbreaking and _terrifying._ Sayaka and Nagia's reluctance to talk about their own experiences just further hammered the point home. She tried to struggle, to move, _anything, _but she couldn't.

_The horse trotted down the foggy road aimlessly, the wudan's minions marching in step with her as-_

"You idiots" another, more authoritative voice spoke, dragging Kyoko from the sudden unknown memory, "She's clearly one of the Akaviri kids the Thalmor were talking about" she felt a spear poke at her, "All alone too, away from her friends" Kyoko heard him turning away from her to the others, "Get her loaded up onto the cart. We'll deliver her when we deliver the rest of the goods. The Thalmor can decide what they want to do with her".

Kyoko could feel her limp form being picked up. A week. Kyoko had lasted on her own for a measly week; hell, it hadn't even been a day since she'd said her piece to Homura. It was like the dragon all over again, except this time there wasn't going to be anyone to save her ass. She was going to be taken somewhere horrible and far away—to the Thalmor. Valtir had told her all about them; the wars they started, the chaos they caused; how they 'disappeared' people they didn't like, the 'reeducation' camps they kept. Nagisa had coined the term 'Nazi Elves', and that combined with what looked like mad Incubator science going on here...things did not look good for her.

She was going to be taken far away to Magical Nazi Scientists, and no one was going to come looking for her. No one was going to _know _to come looking for her.

Kyoko couldn't even move. She'd messed up _so bad._ Should have stolen from a bakery instead. Kyoko's arms and legs were quickly and roughly bound with chains with the same sickly green magic as the arrows so she would remain paralyzed, was gagged, and was then haphazardly dropped into the cart next to the crate full of black soul gems, while her captors prepared to cover her with the food boxes.

"Excuse me. Apologies, but I'm afraid I can't allow this".

Kyoko couldn't tell who had spoken, but it was definitely a new voice; an older man's voice by the sound of it. In any case, the gang's responses were less than welcoming.

"Get a load of the balls on _this _N'wah!" one laughed, "And who exactly do you think you are?"

The man spoke again, "A nobody, really. Just an old soldier".

"Bad move, old man. Now we gotta disappear you too. Should've left your adventuring days back in your youth".

The man's respectful and measured tone took on an edge, "In my experience, you should always respect the man who should have died young".

"Enough" the leader said, "Kill him".

There were the sounds of people moving and yelling, and then battle. Weapons clashing. Screams of pain. Bodies hitting the floor.

Then, silence. Kyoko could do nothing but shallowly breathe as she lay bound in the cart. What had just happened? Who won? Was she in more or less danger than a moment ago?

Footsteps. Someone walked over to the cart, pulled the boxes that had been placed on top of her off, and then began to unbind her. She still didn't know who it was.

"Apologies" the man said as he finished freeing Kyoko. He picked her up, "I know this might seem intrusive and badly timed, but you are Kyoko Sakura, are you not?"

Wha? Who knew her? Kyoko was sat down on the ground against the mud-brick wall as she finally got a good look at her rescuer. He was an old caucasian man with a gentle smile. A simple steel sword rested on the belt of his otherwise unassuming outfit. She gave him an odd look as she tried to work her numb vocal cords, "...W-who…?"

"Ah" the man said, "My name is Wulf, and I believe we have friends in common".

* * *

"So...pardon my asking, but what exactly _is _our plan?"

Nagisa was clearly bored. Homura could easily tell by how she'd spent the last hour or so pacing, dangling off the side of the cliff-face above the town they were currently sitting on top of, climbing rocks, humming to herself, drawing in the ash, spinning around aimlessly, reading a novel Homura had picked up in Riften (which she clearly wasn't that into), making weird noises with her mouth, rocking back and forth, pretending to fire energy beams from her hands, _actually _firing lightning bolts from her hands (until Homura had asked her to stop), kicking dirt, quietly reciting funny moments from TV shows she'd enjoyed to herself, and a million other things.

"As I have said, the plan is to keep an eye on Madoka and wait for an opportunity to act" Homura said, keeping her attention on the small temple building her ex-friend had entered into a bit ago.

"That's it?" Nagisa frowned, "What are we even waiting for?"

What indeed? Homura was critically low on options.

"...Don't tell me the whole plan is just to stalk her?"

Homura didn't even look at her and instead kept watch, "If this isn't to your satisfaction, you are free to leave as you please". Nagisa visibly flinched at that and Homura inwardly chastised herself. It would do no good to chase off her ally. "Our options are...limited. My first plan involved smashing the world shards and trapping us all here. For obvious reasons that is...not an acceptable path forward".

The truth was, Homura had no idea what she was doing. Nagisa's words stung in part because the girl was _right._ By following Madoka Homura had thought she could somehow guide the other girl, or keep her safe long enough for someone or something to happen on Madoka's quest that she could make use of—but if Homura knew anything, it was that no amount of hand-holding would ever get Madoka to do what she needed her to do.

She was grasping at straws and she knew it. She knew it and she hated it and-

No. _Breathe._

The endless mocking laughter. The sound of crashing glass and steel. Madoka, looking at her with that sad smile before turning and _lighting up_ while she herself was unable to even stand or stop her.

_Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and-_

"...What if we're going about this the wrong way?" Nagisa asked, shaking Homura from her spiral.

Homura paused, looking at Nagisa with curiosity, "...What would you have in mind?"

The younger girl fidgeted now that she was suddenly under pressure to deliver. It wasn't a plan, not really. More of a sort of kind of idea that could someday lead to one. "What if…" the wheels in her head turned, "You're working with the assumption you'd have to reconstitute the world in such a way that _you'd_ ascend instead of Madoka, right?"

Was she? Honestly Homura hadn't really nailed down her objectives beyond 'prevent Madoka from sacrificing herself again'. But that seemed like the most prudent way to go about things. Maybe steal the shards from Madoka and somehow take her place? Was that even possible, considering the universe had revolved around the Law of Cycles while Homura had been an interloper? "I suppose, yes. Where are you going with this?"

Nagisa looked around at the bleak landscape surrounding Silgrad, "...What if we transplanted the souls inside the Mitakihara shard here somehow?"

Homura considered that. It _was _a novel approach, and breaking the shards in such a way would likely prevent Madoka from ever rebuilding their old universe, but there were several major problems even when ignoring the question of 'how', "The greater Mitakihara-Kazamino area had a population approaching a million people. That alone is equal to the Imperial City, the largest settlement in Tamriel by a wide margin. How would you account for Earth's population of seven billion, never mind all of the other worlds?" Not that Homura was married to the idea of saving every single soul mind you; certainly their deaths would be regrettable, but ultimately the universe was unfair and terrible things happened—life goes on. Unfortunately, Madoka would certainly take their inability to be saved as a personal slight.

"Uh...hmmm" Nagisa frowned as she placed her hands behind her head and resumed pacing, bested by Homura's logic. There wasn't a good answer there, was there? And thinking about it more, trying to get even just a million people used to the technological wonders of the twenty-first century to adapt to medieval life would have been an _interesting _challenge. Maybe a different tack?

"...What if we got help?" Nagisa asked. Homura's eyebrow arched, so Nagisa explained, "You and Madoka aren't the only gods here, right?".

"No" Homura said flatly, "We're not entrusting Madoka's safety and happiness to Sheogorath". She briefly glanced around, as if speaking his name would summon him.

"Why not? He seems nice enough".

"He's the Daedric prince of _madness_. He is feared and reviled throughout Tamriel and for good reason. If you're looking for reading material, I have a book in my pack that will explain far better than I could. His stories usually end in terrible misfortune". And that was _another _problem that needed dealt with. Homura glared at Nagisa, "Do not trust him".

To her credit, the younger girl nodded hesitantly, "Er...understood". Well, that was certainly a weird feeling for Homura; having someone heed her advice. She was actually kind of enjoying having Nagisa along; while she hadn't solved her problems, she was certainly good at voicing and contextualizing the situation, and considered routes that Homura maybe hadn't given a proper due.

"What about a different god, then?" Nagisa asked, "Surely there's other gods who could provide help".

Homura pondered. She'd met Hircine soon after arriving here, but as the god of the hunt he had only been interested in her and Madoka in the context of Homura's hunt. Meanwhile Madoka had been led by temple priests into a temple dedicated to Azura, god of twilight and prophecy. The gods of this world had definitely taken notice of the situation, and if Homura wasn't careful she feared she would soon find herself in a dangerous game of chess with divine powers who far outclassed her.

Maybe she _should _find a benefactor after all. But who? And what could she offer them to secure their assistance? And how could she ensure that they wouldn't use Madoka for their own ends? She'd considered this idea before and discarded it because of the danger, but this meeting with Azura worried Homura.

Maybe she could play them off against one another?

"Perhaps" she said at last, "But that is not something I am yet willing to attempt". It was a bit like setting off a bomb; once it went off there was no going back. Nagisa again fell into silence, before searching Homura's pack for that book on Sheogorath she was talking about so she could skim it. Homura meanwhile returned to her vigil.

"...You really care about her, don't you?" Nagisa asked after some time, looking up from the book.

The faintest of smiles graced Homura's face but for a second, "...More than you can ever hope to understand".

Nagisa found Homura perplexing; always aiming for something, but then intentionally keeping herself out of arms reach. Always saying one thing and then acting another. "...Why didn't you ever talk to her, then? Back in your world, I mean. You set the whole thing up and then...you just stayed away. You never showed up at Mami's for cake, I never saw you hang out with the others, they never mentioned you beyond 'that weird girl who keeps to herself in class'..."

Homura looked down. Because she was a monster. Because she was evil, a demon, a liar. Because she destroyed everything she touched. Because she ruined people. Because she'd failed time and time again endlessly. Because she'd violated Madoka's wish, even if that violation had given her everything she'd lost. Because she was an unlovable blight on the world. Because she didn't deserve her. Because she was worthless.

Because Madoka's world was better off when she wasn't there to force herself in or take up room.

Because if given the chance Madoka would choose to leave her anyway, every time.

Every time.

"It would have been...problematic" Homura replied simply. A demon with the experience of a hundred timelines and vast cosmic knowledge vs a sheltered fourteen year old girl unknowingly adhering to a script written specifically for her. Even Homura knew that getting close to Madoka in such a situation was crossing a line that shouldn't _ever_ be crossed—no matter how close she'd come to breaking down and crossing it on multiple occasions. Another reason why she didn't deserve her.

Such filth.

Nagisa eyed her, expecting more, but nothing came. Homura refused to elaborate, and silence finally fell over the duo.

* * *

Upon first seeing the building Madoka had definitely not immediately thought 'temple'. The outside had been made of the same yellow mud-brick as the rest of the town, though more curved and in a somewhat different aesthetic than the other buildings. It was the size of two or three houses, but rather flat with a dome on top. As they went inside, they went _underground_, and the interior reflected that with dark, murky rooms that were lit by small blue and white lanterns scattered about. As they were guided down the narrow pathways she caught sight of what looked like small fire pits filled with piles of ash...and bits of charred bone with small candles lining the rim.

"Burial pits" Valtir murmured to her when he caught her staring, "Dunmer funeral rites involve cremation".

"We are born in ash, and so when we die we return to ash" the dark elf priest who had been guiding them nodded. He motioned them forward into the back room of the temple, "Please, after you".

Madoka tore herself from the somewhat macabre sight and moved forward, entering the back room. It was dim but well-decorated with rugs, wall tapestries, lanterns, and assorted runes and small statues. In the center of the back wall however was a pedestal draped with a tapestry with odd symbols on it, and atop it was the statue of a lady dressed in heavy, flowing robes and holding two staffs in her outstretched hands—one ending with a pointed star, and the other with a crescent moon. Two other statues on similar pedestals stood on either side of her, with the one on the left being a woman with spider-like attributes, and the one on the right being someone (Man? Woman? Madoka couldn't tell) with a bald head aside from their ponytail and a large battleaxe.

"If you need anything, I will be right outside" the priest said.

Madoka turned just in time to see the door close, "Wha- Uh..." Now what?

"**Approach, child".**

The voice directed Madoka back to the statues.

"**Do not be frightened. I have need of you".**

The middle statue was...well, glowing was the wrong word, but a presence was certainly there. Madoka cautiously approached with Valtir backing her up, "...Azura, I presume?"

**"Correct"** the woman's voice said, full of authority and gravitas, **"And you are Madoka Kaname, the _former_ Prince of Hope"**.

The emphasis on 'former' wounded Madoka a bit, but she pressed on anyway, "I am, yes. What can I do for you?"

"**Your arrival has set off many events, some beyond even my ability to anticipate. For example" **Madoka stepped back as a glowing facsimile of a world shard materialized between her and the statue, floating in midair. She reached out to touch it, only to have her hand brush through it like it wasn't even there. Azura continued, **"Yes, the so-called 'world shards'. I have acquired many"**.

Madoka's eyes lit up, "You have!?" Asking other gods for help, why hadn't she thought of that? Azura could go where she couldn't. This...this might not be an impossible task after all. Hope flickered.

"**Indeed. We shall get to that in due time, however. I require something from _you_".**

"We scratch your back, you scratch ours?" Valtir asked, arms folded and with a small frown on his face. He was clearly untrusting.

"**Those who serve me are always justly rewarded" **Azura replied, **"Look over on the table"**.

Madoka glanced back at the small table between the two doors leading from the room. She crossed the distance and picked up the paper on the surface. It was a map of Morrowind, indicating where they currently were, as well as the city of Ebonheart, along the coast in the region of Stonefalls.

"**A number of my worshipers have mysteriously vanished, across Morrowind but particularly in the city of Ebonheart".**

"...Dead?" Madoka asked, turning back.

"**No. Their souls are claimed; they should have arrived in my realm of Moonshadow. Something has taken them from me, or otherwise removed them from my sight. It is a clear attack on myself. And I believe...it is related to you".**

"Me?" Madoka's head tilted quizzically as she walked back over, "How?"

"**..._Something _is living in Ebonheart, something that evades my sight, and yet its energies align with yours. Do this for me, and I will grant you a boon: one of my world shards"**.

Madoka heart dropped at Azura's word choice. _Her _world shards? "...One?" she asked hesitantly.

"**Yes, a world shard for a completed task. Is this not a boon? A million souls is no small gift. You should be grateful for my generosity".**

"I mean no disrespect" Madoka said as her mouth suddenly went dry; the faint tendrils of panic reaching up from deep inside, "But I...I really sort of need all of the world shards. They never should have been here. They're my responsibility, and I'm _really_ sorry for getting you wrapped up in it".

Azura's tone was gentle but chastising, **"You don't _need _anything, child, except to do what I tell you. I found these shards by right of salvage, and they are mine now. Whatever I choose to bestow on you is a reflection of my magnanimosity".**

"But they don't belong to you!" Madoka called out, "They're not yours to give! Please; they need to go back home".

"**And exactly who do you think you are to demand things from me?"**

Madoka's fists clenched, "...I'm...I'm the Daedric Prince of Hope, and I'm not demanding, I'm _asking._ Please". She didn't feel it. She felt like a child playacting.

Azura seemingly agreed, **"You _were _the Prince of Hope. Once. Now all I see is a mortal child who fails to understand her position"**.

The daedra's words felt like a blow to Madoka. She looked down at her hands; so mortal and small and _useless._ She couldn't save them. She couldn't save anyone.

Valtir approached, tense and disapproving of the daedra's actions but still trying for a favorable resolution, "Pardon the intrusion. Lady Azura, it's me, Valtir. Psijic Order? I helped deal with the Camlorn Incident? Mediated your dispute with Peryite? Presided over the-"

"**Yes, yes. I know who you are. Speak, mortal".**

Valtir went right to work, "I've come to negotiate on behalf of the Order. As you know, you and a number of the other Princes have a pact with us with regards to stealing unclaimed souls-"

"**Only native Tamrielic souls count towards the pact. The shards are foreign"** Azura said, **"Do not attempt to change the terms of the agreement, or I may simply consider them null and void"**.

Valtir shook his head, "Of course not. In this case however, I was hoping you would reconsider. The arrival of Madoka Kaname and the fragments of her world represent an imminent strategic threat to the continued stability to both the realms of Oblivion and the Mundus. Surely you would understand the risks if other powers began to involve themselves".

"'**If'? The other Lords of Oblivion are already well aware of the situation and have been reacting accordingly. I will not weaken my position for your benefit".**

Valtir's frown deepened as the implications of Azura's words became clear, "Then...the other Daedra..."

"**Have all begun to collect their own shards, yes. I myself have over a hundred and counting"**.

There it was. The worst-case scenario Valtir had been hoping to avoid: well over a dozen hostile divine entities gorging themselves on millions of souls and upsetting the balance of power between them. Perhaps his plan had never really been feasible.

Perhaps it was time to start considering more drastic measures, in case of something apocalyptic happening.

Madoka meanwhile was horrified. Hundreds of millions if not billions of people she'd once known intimately, even if now she couldn't even remember their faces were now out of her grasp forever, and the number was still climbing and would continue to climb. They were in the hands of beings who were less trustworthy than the Incubators, and there was little she could do at the moment except beg.

"But...but you can't do that! They don't belong to you!" Madoka's fists clenched as she stepped forward in distress, "You can't just use them to increase your power! They're real, living people, not batteries!"

"**And were you any different? I know of you, Madoka Kaname. I know what you have done. I watched you as you steadily increased your own power though the so-called 'Incubators'. I watched you as you farmed soul after soul to add to your own divinity".**

Madoka froze in shock at Azura's accusation, like she'd been slapped in the face. "That's...that's not-" That wasn't why she'd made her wish. That wasn't why she'd done anything. That wasn't-

Oh _god._ The horror rushed in.

Azura cut her off; she wasn't done, **"Do not speak to me of what I can and cannot do; I am far beyond you, and I will do as I please. I was here long before you existed, and I will be here long after you die. Feel honored that I am providing you with such a gift for your efforts. Unless you would prefer I not?"**

The implications were clear; any further debate on Madoka's part would deny her even one world shard. The fight ebbed out of Madoka as she realized she had lost. She stood there, her hands unclenching and hanging limply by her sides as her eyes vanished under her bangs. Her mind was swirling.

She couldn't save them. She didn't deserve to.

She wasn't good enough.

What right did she have to ask for them back?

It was all her fault.

"**Fear not, child. I will provide for my new subjects, and they will come to love me as I will love them. Should you not be grateful? For I will grant them safety and bliss in a way you were never able to".**

"...But..." Madoka tried pitifully, but stopped herself. 'But' what? That those souls were _hers_? She didn't own them. That it wasn't right? Considering that Madoka had _killed her world_, maybe she wasn't the best person to determine right and wrong.

Had she really only used them for her own ends? Was she that much of a monster? She hadn't meant to. This wasn't what she'd wanted. Everything felt a bit dizzy and unclear. She wasn't...she didn't feel right.

Something inside of Madoka broke.

"**We shall speak again once you have accomplished your task. Until then, farewell mortal".**

With that, the presence in the statue vanished, and Madoka and Valtir were once again alone in the room.

Valtir's mind was aflame with stopgap contingency plans. This was...this was _bad_; damn near the worst case scenario. Confirmation that one daedra was collecting shards was bad enough. Confirmation that it had become an arms race? That was something that could quickly become apocalyptic_._ This wasn't something he could keep tabs on by himself anymore. He had to find a way back to Artaeum, Thalmor be damned. Perhaps the Conclave was working on something. If not then they needed to be warned. He needed to—where was Madoka?

He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts he had barely even noticed as Madoka, without so much as looking at him or saying anything had simply turned and left the temple. Valtir left the way they'd came; he needed to find Madoka before he did anything else.

* * *

Kyoko and Wulf hadn't stuck around long in the alleyway; too many bodies and too much contraband for the area to be safe in case someone came looking. Instead Wulf had given the girl some kind of really bad-tasting anti-paralysis potion. The effects weren't immediate and Kyoko had required assistance getting up, but as they had walked to the dim and filthy bar she had slowly began to feel her body again.

...As much as she wished she hadn't, as all the unbearable aches and pains that came from trying to move a limb that was asleep were in full force over every inch of her body. When they had arrived at the tavern Kyoko had clumsily dumped herself into a chair in front of a table in the corner of the room (all of them with a thin layer of ash covering them), away from the center of activity. She leaned back, panting slightly.

Goddamn pins and needles.

The tavern was small and dark; a rough wooden counter dominated far end of the room while the rest of it was taken up by equally battered wooden tables and chairs, paper lanterns places on each one to give at least a little bit of light. The mud-brick walls were covered in ornate banners with fancy script Kyoko couldn't read.

"So what do you want?" she asked the old man.

"'Want'?" Wulf asked, seemingly innocent.

"You fought off an entire gang to get to me, gave me a potion, and then walked me here. Spill".

Wulf chuckled to himself, "Your friends were right. You _are _prickly".

Kyoko frowned, "You mentioned them before" she scoffed with sudden realization, "...Did they seriously send you after me? You can tell them I'm not going back".

The old man gave her an odd look, "…'Sent'...?" he laughed, "Oh my, no. You have the wrong idea. I haven't seen Mami or Madoka in weeks, not since I sent them off to the College of Winterhold" he paused, "...They had been looking for you, actually".

Kyoko's expression shifted to surprise for a moment, then darkened once more as she looked away at that thought. So, this was the man Mami had told her about. "...Wait" she glanced at him quizzically, "...They found you in Skyrim, right? If you weren't looking for me, then why are you here?"

"By chance, really. At my age you come to realize there aren't many years left to waste" Wulf said somewhat wistfully, "I've never actually been to the far east of Morrowind, if you can believe it. I've been most everywhere else in Tamriel, but never the eastern coast. Thought it was time I saw it for myself. How about you? Where are you headed?"

"Why are you so interested?" Kyoko asked, suspicious.

Wulf shrugged, "I'm merely making talk. Ah, here are our drinks". Kyoko's attention shifted to the surly-looking young Dunmer male who approached with a pair of mugs that Wulf had ordered when they'd first arrived. The Dunmer eyed them for a moment as he put the drinks down, then walked away in distaste.

"...This place hates me almost as much as I hate it" Kyoko grumbled. She forced herself to sit up straight, as much of a struggle as it was, "...What is this?" she asked, looking at the dark and uninviting drink.

"Scathecraw Tea. It'll help take the edge off; get your muscles moving again".

With a small bit of reluctance Kyoko took a sip, and initially flinched at the somewhat bitter taste. As it went down however, she realized there was something else there, and took another drink.

Wulf couldn't help but chuckle a bit at her reaction, "It's a bit of an acquired taste, I'll admit".

Kyoko didn't meet his eyes, instead looking away for a moment, "...The Imperial City" she said.

"Pardon?"

"You asked where I was headed".

"So I did" Wulf nodded, "Any particular reason?"

Kyoko shrugged noncommittally, still looking off in the middle distance, "Dunno, just seemed good a place as any. Big city I can get lost in and forget everything".

Wulf smiled warmly at a memory, "The Imperial City is the most beautiful place in all of Tamriel, though I might be biased. Not as glorious as it was in its prime, but still imposing even now".

"You've been?"

"Many times, yes" Wulf said, "I lived there for a time, when I was in the Legions" he frowned, "The road from here to there on foot is long and dangerous, well over a month; even longer now that winter is settling in. The Jerall passes will be nearly blocked".

Kyoko scoffed, "It's fine. I can take care...of..." she trailed off at his coy look. Considering the situation, even she couldn't finish that statement with conviction.

"Avalanches, ash storms, wolves, bug monsters, dragons, daedra..." Wulf listed off possible threats and then gave her a knowing look as his gentle nature took on a serious tone, "And alone, it's likely no one would ever find your body. I know that you were the top of the food chain in your world, but you need to understand that here there are things that can and _will _kill you".

Kyoko failed to suppress a gasp at him revealing the truth about her, but before she could actualize the question Wulf answered for her, "I found Mami and Madoka in Frost Creek. They told me a lot of things while I taught them magic".

...Ah, of course they had. They'd done the same to the College and those Companion mercenaries. And the more Kyoko thought about it; how lost and desperate she and Nagisa had been when they'd run into Neloth—and they hadn't had a comatose friend to deal with, the more she understood. If she'd been the one dragging around Sayaka's husk for weeks she probably would have lost her mind. She didn't know how Mami had handled it so well. Why was she so perfect?

"...Why aren't you with them?" Wulf asked gently with concern, "They were worried sick about you".

Kyoko wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, closed it, frowned, looked away…

Bitterness at Madoka and Homura. Anger at Sayaka. Guilt. Shame. The look on Nagisa's face when she'd threatened her. The look on Sayaka's face when she'd found out what Kyoko had done. Frustration; the feeling of being trapped, a pawn stuck playing someone else's game, of being ignored except when it was convenient. Emptiness; the feeling of being lost and alone, moreso than she'd ever been before.

And yet somehow that loneliness was familiar; an aching feeling that was almost nostalgic in its own bitter way.

"What do you care?" she asked lowly, with just enough bite to scare someone off without being _too _mean. She frowned, "Wait, how do you know we met up in the first place?"

"You told me; the way you answered your questions. How you weren't surprised when I told you I'd seen them. Apologies if I'm being presumptive" Wulf said, "And I was merely curious. They spent all that time looking for you, only for you to split up again?"

"Yeah, well...shit happens". She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to have this conversation. Not with a stranger of all people...and yet she really _did. _She wanted to vent so fucking badly. She wanted to scream and yell and _get angry _and she couldn't even entirely pin down _why_ she was so angry_, _"The problem with other people is that you always get suckered into their bullshit" she muttered under her breath, "...Should've ditched Valtir when I'd had the chance". Kyoko took another drink from her mug, slightly wincing at the taste.

"I hate this place" she said with quiet rage, gripping her mug, "I hate everything about it. I hate the ash, I hate the people, I hate the food. I hate that that there's no arcades, no convenience stores, no nothing. I hate that the toilet is a hole in the floor. I hate that I can't walk twelve meters without something trying to kill or enslave me. I hate that I don't have my powers". She hated her old world too; the empty existence of hunting-stealing-gorging herself, but at least that was familiar and she could indulge in hedonism to forget everything for a few minutes.

Wulf gave her a sympathetic but perplexed look, "So your plan then is...to leave your friends forever? To sever your last links to home?"

Kyoko opened her mouth to retort, but wasn't actually sure what to say to that. Okay yeah sure, choices sounded dumb when you used _words_, but this was for the best. Kyoko could just get away from it all and start over.

In a world she hated.

"You seem frustrated" her wanna-be therapist said.

"You don't say" she said bitterly before leaning forward, "And why on earth would I be frustrated? Since coming here I've only just been stabbed, shot at, set on fire, had my life force sucked out through a straw by a vampire, captured by weird dark elf Kyubey fanboys, nearly eaten by a dragon -twice!-" her ranting got more explosive and frantic as she managed to stand up, leaning against the table as her voice rose, "Experimented on by a mad scientist, attacked by a swarm of angry zombies only to get trapped in a giant spider cave, lost the one person I-" she closed her eyes as bitter tears came out; her last argument with Sayaka refusing to leave her mind. She shot Wulf a glare, "Yeah, I'M PRETTY FUCKING FRUSTRATED. IS THAT OKAY!?" she paused when she noticed the rest of the tavern looking at her, "...WHAT ARE YOU SHITS LOOKING AT?!"

To her credit, the teenager's rage was enough to cause most of the otherwise dour and bitter dark elves to mind their own business.

She continued, this time with less rage and more bitter resignation, "...I didn't sign up for this shit. Gods, demons, alternate universes? Why am I even here? I've been running their errands for months, and what do I even get out of it? Why does it feel like I only matter when I'm useful for something?" her voice became mocking, "'_Kyoko, help me break out of this illusion __Kyubey__ put me in!' '__Kyoko, help me save Homura so I can go back to being dead!' '__Kyoko, help me overthrow the devil!', 'Kyoko, help me keep being the devil!' 'Kyoko, help me rebuild the world after __oops __I blew it up!'_ And then they ditch me, don't tell me what's up, rewrite my memories, or just flat-out leave me behind" her fingers curled up on the table, her sudden burst of anger spent, "...I'm tired of being used, and I'm tired of being forced to fix all of their screw-ups and I'm just..."

And the worst part was, after her talk with Homura? Kyoko wasn't even sure she had the _right _to be angry.

"So what is it that you want then?"

"I want to be left alone".

"Would that really make you happy?" Kyoko's silence was all Wulf needed to hear. He glanced around at the room, "People are funny creatures, aren't they? We strive to forge our own identities, to be our own persons separate and distinct from those around us...and yet for all our declarations for what Is and what Is Not, we cannot live without others, without those around us. Like pieces of a puzzle that just don't quite fit anymore. Even the Daedra; as immutable and constant as they are, cannot hope but to meddle in the affairs of mortals and one another, desperately seeking meaning".

Kyoko, still standing, looked at Wulf with disdain at the empty, self-serving words she'd heard so many times. "So that's your answer? Be selfless?" She was about to walk out, now completely done humoring him.

To her surprise Wulf chuckled, "Hardly. Selflessness doesn't exist. It's nothing more than a term we use to feel better about our actions, a sort of white lie we tell ourselves. Everything we do is to benefit ourselves in some way, even if it's just to feel good about what we've done". Kyoko gave him a guarded but curious expression as she slowly sat back down; it was like he'd just turned one-eighty and was now speaking her language. Wulf continued, "But recognizing that isn't the same as indulging in self-destructive selfishness. As people we are communal, connected..." he leaned forward with a smile, "Whether we like it or not...and when we try to escape that, it's not freedom we seek but rather denial of the self".

'_I've decided that from now on I'm never going to regret anything, ever again'._

'_To be honest, it's getting to be a pain putting up with your obsessions'._

'_You're disillusioned with me, aren't you'._

'_I don't want to risk my life to help people'._

'_I won't hesitate to take your head next time'._

'_Guess my only option is to kill you!'_

'_I was stupid...so stupid'._

More echoes; memories she'd never experienced. Other times, other Kyokos. A fight with Mami. A flash of green hair and a wide smile. Sayaka lifeless on a hotel bed. An orchestra playing. A rider and her horse on an empty road. She shook her head and pushed the voices and thoughts aside. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Wulf gave her the barest hint of a knowing smile, "...I think you already know. Your memories of the other timelines have been returning, haven't they?"

Kyoko gasped in shock. That wasn't...how did he know that? Madoka or Mami couldn't have told him. Her glare returned as suspicion mounted, "...Who are you?! Are you the one doing this to me!?"

"I am not" Wulf said calmly. For the first time Kyoko saw something behind the facade of the kindly old man, something tough and battle-hardened, "As for my identity, I have been many things to many people. At the moment, I am simply a guide".

Kyoko grit her teeth. More manipulation; more people using her, "That doesn't answer my question. I want answers; now. Who are you and what do you want with me?! Why is this happening to me?!"

Wulf sighed, "I had hoped to remain anonymous for a while longer; Madoka Kaname is best guided with a gentle nudge rather than something more direct...but you require more earnestness after all. To answer your last question, you already know why".

"I do?" Kyoko asked, incredulous.

Wulf nodded, "Remember what Neloth and Valtir both told you". Kyoko's blank expression elicited another sigh from Wulf, "What Homura Akemi did should not have happened. The Law of Cycles was an immutable, eternal concept. Madoka Kaname was successful in her wish to rescue every magical girl. But Homura Akemi's rebellion severed those possible futures—and yet Madoka's wish remains".

Everything clicked in Kyoko's mind. Right, now she remembered; both Valtir and Neloth had talked about Kyoko being retroactively 'an aspect' of the Law of Cycles, like Sayaka or Nagisa now. But that meant...goddamnit, just a pawn.

"Just another goddamn pawn" she said, barely above a whisper.

"Hardly" Wulf said, "You are a sub-gradient of a larger whole. That doesn't make you a pawn, that makes you a person that belongs somewhere. Is a merchant a pawn of his kingdom? Is a child a pawn of their sibling?" There was a twinkle in his eye, "Is an angel a pawn of her goddess?"

"I didn't ask for this" Kyoko said, less bitter than before, but still forceful. She couldn't deny Wulf's logic, but this still wasn't what she had signed up for.

"We are all influenced by forces outside of our control, Kyoko Sakura. It's what helps define us. It is the difference between Is and Is Not. Absolute freedom is a prison all its own; it is oblivion. A blank canvas is nothing; a canvas that has been painted on is art. You _have _a choice. You could stand up and walk out right now if you so wanted; I would not stop you. Just like Valtir would not have stopped you from leaving on Solstheim. But just because you _can _make a choice doesn't necessarily mean it's the right one".

'_From now on, I'll fight my own way'._

'_You know what the food chain is, right?'_

'_You're really pissing me off'._

'_You shouldn't have stepped on my turf!'_

'_Lemme see just how strong your so-called resolve is!'_

She shook off the memories, clutching her face as they continued to flood in, now a deluge rather than a trickle.

Wulf pressed his advantage, "You act as if relationships are a contract, where you owe or are owed favors. You act as if you're above it all, as if life is worth living alone and untethered. But deep down, you know it's not true. You just choose to ignore it because running away is easier".

"_Shut up!" _Kyoko growled, tears now beginning to trickle down, "Shut your goddamn-"

_Kyoko dodged wheel after wheel, yelling at Sayaka's witch._

_Kyoko sent her chains flying at Mami, trying to knock sense into her to keep her from dying with Sayaka._

_Oktavia crushed Madoka in her hand._

_Kyoko's spear pierced Sayaka's soul gem, and the bluenette's body fell limp instantly._

_Mami committed suicide ontop of a ruined skyscraper after she'd run out of seeds against Walpergisnacht._

_Kyoko's chains tied Homura up, preventing the inexperienced girl from stopping time before sending her flying into a building._

_Mami aimed her musket, and before Kyoko even had time to react she was dead._

_Crazed and full of bloodlust, Sayaka rushed at Kyoko, managing against all odds to impale the redhead and pin her to the wall, before slicing down on her neck._

_The green-haired little girl (who?) contracted with Kyubey against Kyoko's explicit orders._

_Oktavia played her orchestra._

_Candeloro pinned Kyoko down and strangled her._

_The wudan witch trampled a heartbroken Sayaka in her path, refusing to stop for anything or anyone._

_Fragments of a hundred timelines. A hundred lifetimes of tragedy and horror and loss and regret. A hundred other Kyokos who fell again and again. A hundred timelines of pushing Sayaka into suicide. A hundred timelines of breaking Mami's heart. A hundred timelines of doing anything and everything she could to keep everything at an arm's distance only to realize too late that her life was a hollow shell and that she'd wasted every chance given to her._

For as much as she had decided she had nothing to do with Homura, Sayaka, or Madoka's problems, the truth was that their problems had largely been outgrowths of older problems she'd had a direct hand in.

Homura was right; if it wasn't for Madoka, she wouldn't be breathing right now. It was so unfair; all of this had happened and Kyoko couldn't even blame anyone for it. She wasn't even allowed to be angry. Hell, she'd been the one cheering Madoka on when she'd made the damn wish.

What a joke.

'_I was stupid, so stupid'._

'_Just give me a happy dream'._

'_Sisters shouldn't worry one another'._

'_It sucks to be alone, doesn't it?'_

It was still just fragments, still just pieces of an incomplete puzzle, but the emotions were real and by this point Kyoko was sobbing. The whispers she'd spent the last few days fending off finally crashed in all around her.

That was the problem with memories.

"I would say you have two choices ahead of you" Wulf said, "You could leave right now, never look back, and make the same mistake you've made a hundred times before...or..."

"...What do you care?" Kyoko seethed through her tears, "Why are you here?!"

Wulf hardened. Any trace of the kindly old man was gone as he took on an authoritative tone, "Because you shouldn't _be_ here. None of this should have happened, and you have threatened the dreamer itself with your arrival. I'll be frank with you; you are being hunted. The Thalmor and the Daedric princes all have your scent. If you leave here alone, if you attempt to go it solo, you _will _die, or suffer a worse fate than that. Likely the latter. You're so afraid of being someone's pawn? Wait until the Prince of rape gets his hands on you. Or the Prince of plots and schemes. Or the Prince of fate".

Kyoko listened to all of it, and her blood ran cold. They were being hunted? She was so used to being a big fish in a small pond, but now…Ambroise had been a bit of a wake-up call, and he had at least still been mortal. But here Wulf was talking about _gods._

Wulf continued, "As we speak a number of Princes are vying for influence over Homura Akemi. The Prince of nightmares has been tormenting Sayaka Miki for weeks". Kyoko froze at that; oh god. The _nightmares._ All this time- "And at this very moment, Madoka Kaname is in a meeting with Azura, Prince of prophecy at the temple here in town. It is very likely she is receiving news that will be rather devastating to her".

"...What would that be?" Kyoko asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.

"That none of you can return home as you are. That which has been done cannot be undone".

Kyoko's brow furrowed, "But...the world shards..."

"Are increasingly in the hands of various Princes, who will at some point have collected enough for any of them to be able to assault the defenses of the Mundus directly...and then not a single soul in all of creation will be safe" Wulf's voice was grave, "Various groups in Tamriel are scurrying to various contingency plans, but as it stands Madoka Kaname is our only hope".

Kyoko regarded Wulf, digesting the mountain of information she'd just received. Wow, they were _fucked._

"...Then why me?" she asked, "Madoka's a god; why come to me?"

Wulf's kindly tone returned as he smiled sadly, "Hope is a fragile thing, is it not? We always have a tendency to treat it as some unstoppable force, but in truth...it's ephemeral, like gravity. You can so easily forget it's there, and alone it can be easily overpowered by other forces...but you certainly would miss it if it were gone, wouldn't you? Madoka is only strong because of those around her, because of the courage they give her to go on. Alone she is rather fragile" he looked Kyoko directly in the eye, "You need her, as she needs the rest of you. You are all any of you have right now, and you are facing impossible odds. You will either stand together, or I assure you, you will suffer fates worse than death".

Kyoko was silent. Not in petulance, not in rage. She was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions and thoughts. She was still angry and frustrated at all this. She was still bitter. But fear had come too; fear at losing the others, fear at something horrible befalling herself… Her cheeks were still drying from the unending sorrow the conflicting and fragmentary memories were giving her. And...hesitation?

"...What if they hate me?" Kyoko asked quietly with a small voice.

"Actions have consequences" Wulf said, "You can't undo what has been done, as you are well aware at this point, and you will have to deal with that. But they _are _stillyour friends".

Kyoko said nothing more, simply content to look down at the contents of her mug.

"Here" Wulf fished a small object out of his pocket and tossed it to her. Kyoko just barely managed to grab it in her hands. It was a gold coin; weathered and well-worn, with the picture of a man on it. "An old Septim. My lucky coin. It won't buy you much; the Empire hasn't existed in decades, but it's always served me well".

Kyoko gave him a confused look, "...Why are you giving me this?"

The old man gave a wry smile, "Take it from an old soldier; luck is a damn good replacement for when hope is gone".

Kyoko glanced down at the coin, feeling it over. It was warm. Not like the kind of warmth that would come from being in someone's pocket, but almost as if it was generating its own faint magical energy. "Wait-" she looked up, but Wulf was gone, as if he'd never been there. Kyoko looked around, but there was no sign of him.

That gave her a chill down her spine as it reminded her of one too many ghost stories her dad would terrify her with as a kid. Sure, her (ex?) best friend was technically a ghost, but that didn't really count. Kyoko put the coin in a same pocket she'd left the stolen grief seed in and thought for a bit. She finished her drink and then walked outside.

She needed to take a walk. A _long _walk.

* * *

Valtir found Madoka sitting a short distance outside of the temple, curled up against the side of a building. That...wasn't a good sign, especially considering the information they'd received inside the temple. He approached cautiously, not entirely sure what her mental state was.

"...Madoka?" he asked gently.

Madoka lifted her head numbly. She didn't look at him, instead keeping her focus on the middle distance. Her eyes were red; she'd been crying. "...I should have listened to her" she said quietly, sniffing.

"...Who?"

"Homura. She told me not to make a contract. She told me to stay home. But...but I thought I could make things better. I thought I could...I'm such an _idiot_" her head fell back into her arms as the sobbing resumed, "I only made things worse. It's no wonder she hates me. She couldn't fix my mistake and now...oh _god"._

Valtir knelt down beside her, not _entirely _sure how to deal with a crying child, "I won't lie, this is...well, 'bad' is a vast understatement, but we have options. I'm going to head back to the Order, see if we can't strong-arm the Princes to the bargaining table".

"...You knew this was going to happen" Madoka said. Not a question, a statement of fact.

Valtir nodded with a reluctant sigh, "It...was a possibility. We were hoping to swoop in before they had noticed and use our existing pact to keep them away. I suppose that was naive of us. That said, it's 'only' a few thousand shards, and I doubt they've got that many of them yet, so we might have a chance if we can bring them to the table".

Madoka gave him an odd look, "A few thousand?"

"...Yes? Our scrying projected the number of shards that fell from the sky to be somewhere between seven and nine thousand. So about seven or eight billion souls. Why?"

Madoka looked down, swallowing and not _entirely _sure how to break the news, "...There were seven billion people on my homeworld. But that was just one planet".

"...What-"

"There were over one hundred and seventy-two trillion worlds with sapient populations" Madoka said quietly. A low density to be sure, and not entirely surprising considering how rare multicellular life formed, but the numbers still added up. She couldn't remember hardly any of them at this point but she'd made sure, as the worst monster in history, to remember the number.

Remember the dead.

Valtir's face went ashen. One hundred and seventy-two trillion worlds. Not souls, _worlds._ The continent of Tamriel wasn't assumed to exceed seventy-five million souls. The rest of Nirn was a bit more spotty, but Akavir was expected to have a similar population, while the Yokudan isles and Pyandonea were assumed to be a fraction of that.

Good lord. Most hadn't landed on Nirn, otherwise the Order would have detected them and they'd be literally tripping over shards—it was far more likely they'd landed all over the infinite realms of Oblivion.

And they were all at the mercy of various hostile Princes.

"...I see..." Valtir said numbly, not entirely sure what to do with this information beyond inwardly panic. This was...this was _apocalyptic_, and they'd spent the last few months doing jack-all.

Madoka watched his reaction and felt her gut twist. She'd ruined _this _universe too, just because she'd gotten it in her head that she could have helped. Such arrogance; she was a middling middle school student with too much time on her hands. She hadn't made anything better, she'd only made it worse.

"I'm sorry for getting all of you involved in this" she said with no small amount of self-loathing, before dropping her head back down, "I never should have made that wish". Valtir wasn't certain, but he could have _sworn _he'd seen Madoka's eyes flicker briefly with a faint golden light before they vanished under her arms.

Silence reigned for a moment, Madoka wallowing in abject misery and Valtir torn and quietly panicking. He had to get back to the Order pronto, Thalmor spies be damned. He had to warn them, had to-

"...Kyoko?" Valtir asked in surprise. Madoka picked her head up. Sure enough, a very awkward and sheepish Kyoko stood in front of them, rubbing her arm with a bit of embarrassment. She gave an awkward smile. Something about her seemed...fragile. Uncertain.

"Uh...hi. Hey".

"Kyoko" Madoka said, breathless. She'd never expected to see Kyoko again.

"Yeah, that's my name. So...uh...regretting your wish, huh? I uh...yeah, I know what that's like" she said lamely, looking away briefly before awkwardly clearing her throat. She gave Madoka a serious yet slightly pleading look, "...Can we talk?"


	21. 2x03: You're not as bad as you think

**CHAPTER TWENTY: YOU'RE NOT AS BAD AS YOU THINK YOU ARE**

* * *

"I'm sorry".

Those were Madoka's first words after arriving at the rocky outcropping above the town. She and Kyoko had gone for a walk so they could talk privately, leaving a rather shaken Valtir to plan his next move. Madoka sat on the ledge, facing away from Kyoko while the latter stood a meter or two behind her, leaning against a tall bolder as the dreary sky somehow became even drearier—it was becoming late in the day. The walk up had been silent; neither had really known how to start, both of them being a mess of emotions. Beyond the cliff-face and mountains that ringed the town, beyond the Redoran coast, beyond the inner sea that separated mainland Tamriel from the island of Vvardenfell, even over a hundred-sixty kilometers away the two girls could still make out the distant sight of Red Mountain endlessly spewing smoke and ash into the sky.

"You're right to hate me. I should have saved your family. If I'd been cleverer or smarter or..." Madoka trailed off.

"Why didn't you?" Kyoko asked. She mentally smacked herself even as she blurted out the words—goddamnit, that wasn't how she'd meant to say that. But she still wanted to hear it from Madoka's mouth directly, not Homura's game of telephone.

"I thought about it" Madoka admitted, "I thought about just unwishing everyone's wishes, or wishing away the Incubators. When Sayaka died..." she shook her head, ignoring the awful memory, "But I couldn't. I didn't have the right to meddle with countless girls' desires or undo all of history. Maybe if it had been a case by case basis, but I only had one wish to work with and I didn't know how it was going to turn out".

Free will; just like Homura had said. Kyoko supposed that was fair, as much as she hated it. Back to blaming herself for her actions, she supposed.

"It would have been a paradox anyway. Wishing away the source of my wish would have...well, it probably wouldn't have turned out well" Madoka said, grimacing at the thought of the universe-ending witch-singularity that likely would have resulted. Even if she'd found some way around that paradox, there was the ever-present problem that if the Incubators had never existed in the first place the universe wouldn't have had enough energy for star formation for more than a couple billion years—Earth would have come about in a dying universe.

She sighed, then groaned into her hands, "...I should have figured a way around it. You've suffered so much and I…I never should have made the wish. I never should have let any of this happen. I should have been a good girl and stayed home instead of thinking I could help. I should have-"

Kyoko sat down next to her as Madoka ranted at herself, a bag of candied ash yams in her hand. "I died" the redhead stated, cutting Madoka off. She didn't look at the ex-god, instead keeping her attention on the distant hazy form of Red Mountain.

Madoka paused, surprised at Kyoko's sudden introspection. She nodded, "Yes".

"I turned into a witch" Kyoko added, still keeping her attention on the distant mountain.

Madoka remembered the few occasions where Ophelia had left her mark, "...Sometimes". She turned to Kyoko and gasped in slight surprise when she saw Kyoko was offering her one of her candied ash yams. Gingerly she took it, knowing what it implied, "...Thank you". For a moment she was silent, but eventually she gathered her thoughts, "I just...wanted everyone to be given a shot at a second chance. That's all I wanted. I watched you all suffer and die and I had the power and..." a sigh, "I didn't mean for all this. I'm an idiot".

Kyoko quietly laughed with understanding regret, "Yeah, those selfless wishes will get you where you don't expect it" Silence. "...I've been a real piece of shit, huh?" Kyoko asked quietly, still not making eye contact and her bitterness very evident, "I'm angry, and I'm not even sure what I'm angry _at_. I hate everything about this. I hate this place, I hate where we came from, I hate this whole mess we're in, I hate that I have to deal with all this crap..." her hardened features softened with a bit of regret as she shook her head, "...But I can't hate you" she gave Madoka a sad smile, finally locking eyes on her, "...After all, wasn't I right there egging you on?"

Madoka gasped. What? That wasn't...she couldn't have possibly… "...You...you remember?"

Kyoko looked away towards the horizon, putting one leg up for her arm to rest on, "...Starting to. Bits and pieces, anyway. It's _really_ confusing" she gave Madoka a _look_, "This isn't all part of some scheme, yeah?"

Madoka froze. "No, that's not...I didn't—oh no, I didn't mean to-" her thoughts instantly began to spiral as Azura's words came back to her. She _had._ This was all her fault! Everything that was happening was because of _her._

"Woah, woah!" Kyoko gripped Madoka's shoulder with a bit of panicked surprise; this was _not _the reaction she'd expected and now she just felt guilty (okay yeah maybe if she was being honest with herself she was _still _lashing out a bit), "Hey, I was just kidding! Hey-" her worry increased as Madoka curled up into a ball and dove her face into her hands, "...What's happened to you?"

"I'm a _monster_. Everyone's dead because of me, and now their souls are being taken by the Daedra, and it's all my fault because I didn't listen and I turned you into this and got you wrapped up in this and I'm sorry and I can't-" relentless grief and shame washed over the former goddess as the crying started again.

"Woah, okay" Kyoko said, grasping the girl and turning her towards her in some desperate bid to take control of the situation. Goddamnit, she'd come up here to...apologize? Or...something, honestly she wasn't entirely sure what her plan had been beyond 'talk', but so far all she'd managed to do was shove her foot in her mouth and make everything even worse.

Why was she so bad at this?

"Look...okay so you made a bad choice" Kyoko tried gently, "Or...maybe you made a good choice and we messed it up...I'm...not sure anymore". It was at that point she realized she had no idea where she was going with her attempted pep-talk. Goddamnit. Where was Sayaka or Mami? They could talk some sense into Madoka way better than she could, even if the thought of seeing either of them again made Kyoko's stomach knot up, "...How about we go find the others, huh? Where are they anyway, back at the inn?"

Madoka didn't even bother with eye contact, "...By now? Probably back at the College".

Kyoko blinked. Wait, they weren't here? "...They left you?" Honestly Kyoko couldn't believe it; Sayaka was loyal to her to a _fault _and Mami...there just wasn't any way she or Nagisa would just...

Madoka shook her head, "...I thought about what you said and...you were right. It wasn't their problem. I left them a note and most of the money and supplies and...left".

Oh. _Oh._ Kyoko slouched back as she realized in an instant what she'd done. Wulf had told her they'd all needed to be together, but right now...oh boy. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.

"...I've made a terrible mistake" she deadpanned.

"...Wha?" Madoka asked, confused.

"We need to find Sayaka, like, _yesterday_".

Madoka's confusion at Kyoko's sudden urgency deepened as she wiped her eyes, "...Why? The College is safe".

Shit. Where to even _start _with this? "So uh...you know Wulf, right? Old guy, bald, looks like someone's grandpa?"

"...You met Wulf?!" Madoka looked at Kyoko, momentarily shaken out of her self-loathing, "I mean, yeah, we met him in Frost Creek. Wait, is he here?!"

"Uh…" Kyoko scratched her cheek, "Well, he _was_. He kind of uh..._disappeared_".

"'Disappeared'?"

"Uh..." Kyoko wondered how to approach this, "Look, how much did you tell him? About us, I mean?"

Madoka thought back, "...Not much. He found out we were liches when he tried to wake Sayaka up, but he was so nonchalant about the whole thing. Then he told us to go to the College, where we found you".

Kyoko mused suspiciously before grabbing another yam from her bag and stuffing herself. Yeah, that pretty much confirmed some things for her, "Yeah so, he knows a hell of a lot more than he let on".

"...How much more?" Madoka asked, concerned, "What does this have to do with Sayaka?"

"Everything. He knows about you and Homura, about what we're doing, he's been keeping tabs on everything. Told me a whole lot of stuff we didn't know. Then he just straight up vanished when I wasn't looking" Kyoko nodded at Madoka's confusion, "Yeah, whatever he is, I don't think he's human".

Madoka digested this, "Alright...so what did he tell you?"

Kyoko frowned, "...The Daedra are trying to pick us off one by one. They've been going after Sayaka for weeks and we didn't even notice". The self-anger in her voice was evident.

"Sayaka?!" Madoka exclaimed, "But she didn't...we haven't been..." she gasped, realizing, "...The nightmares". She began to beat herself up for not putting two and two together when she'd had the chance. She'd thought they were just stress dreams; PTSD. They'd all had a few of them, and Sayaka had been through the wringer lately. But they hadn't gotten better, and in fact had only gotten worse and...she'd failed Sayaka. She'd been so concerned with everything else happening and she'd ignored her.

Once Madoka had been _everywhere_. She had had the wisdom and grace that had come with omniscience and had been able to focus on everything at once. But now as a mortal she found herself being pulled in so many directions and every time she focused on one problem she would fail two more.

She wasn't good enough. She wasn't good enough and she was failing everyone.

Kyoko nodded morosely, "Yeah. Apparently a few are watching Homura too, but then again she seemed fine when I saw her last night".

"...You've seen Homura?!" Madoka exclaimed, her mood shifting back to surprise. She wasn't entirely how much more of this whiplash she could take, "Where is she? Is she okay? Has she been eating enough? Is sh-"

Kyoko put up her hands in defense, "Woah, okay. She's fine-ish. As 'fine' as Homura gets, anyway. I gave her a good punch to the face, ate her leftovers, then she went off on some nonsense about free will and morality. You know how she gets when she's in one of her _mo__od__s_". Madoka actually managed a weak giggle, relieving Kyoko a bit, "She's nearby, actually. Been following you since we split".

Homura. Someone else she'd failed. Madoka asked, "She has? Why? I thought she hated me now".

Kyoko shook her head, "She doesn't hate you. She's...honestly, I'm not sure I get what Homes is thinking, and I'm not sure I want to know. She's kind of wacko".

"Kyoko!" Madoka gently chastised.

"What? It's true. She ain't all there".

"It's not very nice. Well, at least I know she's alright". Madoka sighed again as her moroseness returned. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, "...I _was_ going to make my way towards Ebonheart, but it looks like I need to go back to the College instead".

"What were you gonna do in Ebonheart?" Kyoko asked.

Madoka's voice was barely above a whisper as she looked back out across the horizon, "...The Princes are collecting the world shards for themselves. Azura...promised me one of them back if I figured out why some of her worshipers went missing".

Kyoko gave her a look, "...Doing dirty work for other gods now?"

Madoka's tired and self-loathing slump against the rock behind her caused Kyoko to mentally kick herself once again for being insensitive. Madoka frowned as she looked up at the darkening ashen sky, "...She said whatever's causing it has energies aligned with mine, which is...worrying". There were only a few possibilities that Madoka could think of, and they were _all_ bad. As if she needed something else to blame herself for.

Kyoko's expression turned ashen, as the wheels in her head spun and she connected the dots. She grasped the grief seed in her pocket, dread filling her soul, "So...promise you won't freak out..."

Madoka closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath as she braced herself. Bad news it was then, "...You're going to tell me that things are somehow _worse _than I thought".

"So I was minding my own business, getting supplies for my trip and uh...well, long story short I _may _have gotten myself into something I probably shouldn't of. A whole crate of filled black soul gems. The Tamrielic kind; y'know, the weird crystal things".

"...Black soul gems can only contain sapient souls" Madoka recalled from their lessons at the college, "Right?" That was definitely bad news; an entire _crate_? Necromancers didn't usually ship in bulk, did they?

Kyoko had an odd look on her face as she fiddled with something in her pocket. She wished she wasn't here to just throw bad news on top of more bad news at the already troubled girl, "Yeah so, that's the thing. I found..._something else_ with them". She fished the item out and showed it to Madoka.

Madoka's reaction was...well, honestly Kyoko wasn't sure if she'd ever seen _anyone _quiterun the gambit of emotions that flashed across the girl's face. Surprise, confusion, dawning horror, disbelief, outright denial, back to confusion, dread, heartbreak, _resignation._

"...Oh..._no_..." She took the seed from Kyoko, her face bunching up in pain, even though she'd _known_. She'd felt it. She had wanted to deny it, but the second Azura had clued her in, Madoka had kept going back to the same conclusion.

"So...yeah. That's a thing. I think I heard them talking about working for the Thalmor" Kyoko muttered quietly as Madoka hugged the small orb tightly against her chest. It was the last twisted remnant of someone's soul. Someone who had been alive, who had been somebody to someone else.

Her wish was violated. Everything she'd worked for, everything she'd sacrificed. Someone was making witches because she wasn't around to stop it.

"Is she...y'know...one of ours?" Kyoko asked with trepidation.

Madoka shook her head gently, "He was the son of a poor saltrice farmer in the Deshaan. He came to Ebonheart to get away from that life" she frowned, "Huh, that's weird. He never made a wish".

Okay, that answer only gave Kyoko more questions, "…'He'? Wait, how do you know all that?" Madoka gave Kyoko a _look_, and Kyoko shrugged, "Okay yeah. Stupid question. So...we know someone's farming witches here then. That's...great. But why a guy? I thought that was impossible or whatever. And I thought witches and shit couldn't be here".

"Magical boys weren't cost effective for the Incubators" Madoka said, "But if you weren't worried about making a profit..." she trailed off in thought, "Anyway, I don't really know. Our soul gems haven't gotten dirty the entire time we've been here, and freeing Sayaka from her isolation field immediately destroyed the wraiths living inside her soul" the pieces of the puzzle clicked together, "But...if someone were to somehow block the light of Aetherius off from the soul like with Sayaka...". There was a certain amount of sense to it; wraiths were in a sense manifestations of grief, but witches were the _effect _of it and were in fact corrupted souls. As long as you could circumnavigate the process somehow, then it stood to reason witches could exist here...as awful as that was.

The two became silent as night gradually fell across the ash wastes. Lanterns could be seen lighting up the town below, strung across the dirt roads from one building to the next. Both girls quietly pondered their situation.

"...So what are you going to do?" Kyoko asked.

What _was _she going to do? Witches, Thalmor, Daedra, world shards, Sayaka, Homura...there were too many things pulling her in too many directions. Saving her world, at least at the moment, was off the table. Saving this world was...well, she wasn't even sure where to begin.

But the Psijic Order did. They could handle this better than she could. Madoka hated leaving her problems to other people—Valtir and the rest of his Order didn't deserve it. Just one more reason she wasn't fit for this job, she supposed. But they had basically taken over anyway, and she was starting to feel like they were humoring her a bit.

Suddenly Madoka knew exactly what she was going to do. She stood up, "...It's getting late. I'll need to be up early if I'm going to head back to the College".

Kyoko looked at her with a bit of surprise, "...You...you're giving up?"

Madoka's voice was quiet and sad as she looked away from Kyoko. She felt sick, nauseous; the stress was probably getting to her. "...Can't be helped, I suppose. I was a bad choice for goddess...and I can't be everywhere" she looked so defeated, "I'm sure the Order can take care of a witch. They'll have better luck". And...maybe the souls of her universe would be better off with gods who knew what they were doing after all, like Azura said. She turned back to Kyoko with a false smile, "...Let's go save the others, okay?" She extended her hand to Kyoko.

Kyoko stared at her hand for a moment in mild shock, then took it and let Madoka pull her up. She studied the ex-god's face for a moment, as if looking for something.

"...What?" asked Madoka.

Kyoko couldn't find any trace of the uncaring power-hungry entity more concerned with her role than with people she'd painted Madoka as before she'd left, and now felt a little ashamed for thinking that way. She was...just a girl like her. An idiot victim who had tried to do the right thing only to have the rigged system blow up in her face. "...Nothing. Just...so we're clear..." Kyoko stuttered a bit, coughing awkwardly. She didn't want to do this considering, but she had to, "...I'm still not happy. I don't...shit, how do I say this?" Madoka looked at her patiently, "I don't like any of this. I don't like being thrown into this and I don't like feeling like I'm just being taken for granted".

Madoka looked down in shame, "...I'm sorry for making you feel that way. It wasn't my intention".

Kyoko groaned in frustration, "No, ugh, damn it. That's not what I-ugh! I'm really bad at explaining things. I know it's not your fault, but..." she sighed and sagged in defeat, looking back out at the town, "...This whole situation sucks, huh?"

Madoka nodded sadly, "...Yeah" she looked up at Kyoko, "I...know I'm not very good. I've made a lot of mistakes, probably more than any other person who's ever lived, and...I don't think I can fix them" she gave Kyoko a sad smile, "But I'll try to be better, okay?"

At last as the two began to head back to town. As they began their descent down the path however, Kyoko gently grabbed Madoka's shoulder, "Hey…you're not as bad as you think you are". The words came out jumbled and awkward—spoken like the uncertain teenager she was, rather than the badass she so often presented.

Madoka's surprise morphed into a small smile as she grasped the hand on her shoulder, "...Thank you". As they walked down she asked, "...Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot".

Madoka frowned as she struggled with how to ask this delicately without Kyoko blowing up again, "...What made you decide to come back?"

Kyoko looked a _little _uncomfortable with the question, but not because she was angry or anything. She almost looked...embarrassed? She coughed, "Oh, y'know. Just...thinking that we should probably stick together after all. Strength in numbers, yeah?" In all honesty, Kyoko wasn't _entirely_ sure herself? Despite everything it seemed like the logical choice after her argument with Wulf. What were even her goals right now? She wasn't trying to stay with Sayaka anymore considering how spectacularly _that _bridge had gone up in flames, she still didn't really have any skin in the game regarding Madoka's godhood or _any _of the nonsense between her and Homura...

Yet right now 'sticking together' seemed like a hell of a lot better than 'dying' or 'ending up as somebody's slave'.

That and...god, she could go for some chocolate right now. Good _lord_ she missed Earth food.

Madoka kept watch on the other girl's face, looking for _something._

"...What?" Kyoko asked, slightly flustered.

"...You lost a fight, didn't you?" Madoka's eyes were still red from crying, her expression was a mixture of pained and sympathetic, but Kyoko could swear _something _about it was absolutely shit-eating. Huh, maybe there was a reason Madoka and Sayaka were friends.

"Wha—no! Course not" Kyoko countered far too quickly, folding her arms and huffing. Madoka didn't look away and Kyoko wilted with a sigh when it was clear she was fooling no one, "...Yeah" a beat, "...Please don't tell the others".

Madoka gave her a gentle smile, "My lips are sealed". Kyoko couldn't help but smile back. It was weird; by all rights she should _hate _someone like Madoka, yet she couldn't. Maybe because there was something actually genuine about her; she walked her talk. Even though her new memories were still like swiss cheese, that felt _right._

And, honestly? She had fallen for a certain wannabe knight pretty hard too. Kyoko wondered if she was just a dumbass. Case in point: she was increasingly certain she'd _died _for said wannabe knight. More than once, in fact.

"...Startin' to get why Sayaka and Homura like you so much" Kyoko muttered to herself under her breath.

"Hm?" Madoka asked, unaware of what Kyoko had said.

The redhead shook her head, "Nothing. Forget it" a pause, "...Can I ask _you _a question?" Madoka gave Kyoko a nod, "If...if it hadn't...if Homura hadn't split you in two, would her world have...y'know..."

Madoka's morose expression returned, "I only got to see how it worked for a few minutes but..." a sigh, and Kyoko slumped as they walked, "I don't know. I think Homura was probably using too much energy. The problem with fighting entropy by using energy is that it just speeds entropy along. Eventually you lose anyway". For not the first time, the mystery of Aetherius and why it hadn't shone on her own universe ate at Madoka. If they ever _did_ make it back somehow, she was going to figure some things out, even if she had to tear a hole in reality herself.

"...Can't get something for nothing, huh?" Kyoko mused with a frown, "Makes sense I guess".

The two entered the town, walking among the mud-brick buildings as paper lanterns lit their way, casing colorful glows across the street.

"Kyoko?"

"...Yeah?"

Madoka fidgeted, "...Thanks for coming back. And I'm sorry".

Kyoko eyed her with disbelief, "...I yell at you, break up the team, ruin everything...and you're apologizing to _me_". She shook her head, "I guess I'm sorry too. Thanks for not just, y'know, shutting me down".

They approached the local inn. Valtir was waiting outside.

"Kyoko?"

"Yeah?"

Madoka flashed her a smile, "...You're not as bad of person as you think either".

Kyoko snorted, "That's a fucking lie" she returned with a small smile of her own, "...But thanks".

* * *

Homura and Nagisa had vacated the rocky overlook when they'd seen Madoka and Kyoko were on their way. It was surprising; Homura honestly hadn't expected Kyoko to return after the way their last meeting had gone. Usually when Kyoko was done with something, she was _done._

How...unexpected, even moreso that the duo's conversation seemed to be not just civil, but increasingly friendly. Still, it didn't change much beyond Madoka now having someone to look after her who wasn't the high elf from the College that was doing his damnedest to sacrifice Madoka to the Law of Cycles once more.

At the moment the unlikely duo of ex-demon and turncoat herald set atop the inn, watching from the shadows on one of the rugs that dotted the open-air roof of the building. To her credit, her young companion wasn't fidgeting or complaining, but instead was blending in and—oh, nevermind. It was because Nagisa was fast asleep.

She let out an indignant snore.

Sigh. Homura supposed she would be taking first shift tonight.

Her idle bemusement turned in an instant as she felt a presencebehind her. Immediately Homura spun from her sitting position into a crouch as she effortlessly drew her bow and an arrow in a single fluid motion.

"Apologies!" her visitor, a Khajiit in a nondescript robe and hood said. The cat-person raised their paws in protest, "This one did not mean to startle you".

Homura kept her weapon trained on the interloper, "Explain your intentions, now". Her tone was measured but cold. The sudden activity was enough to rouse Nagisa from her nap, and she sat up in sudden concern as she watched the confrontation unfold.

"Of course, of course" the Khajiit chuckled nervously, "This one is merely an envoy. His master wishes to speak with you".

Homura's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "...'master'?"

The Khajiit shook his head, "Not here. Too many ears, yes? One too many madgods about. Follow me".

Well, that clinched it; the cat was almost certainly the harbinger for another Daedra. The question was, who? Homura's initial reaction would have been to disregard the Khajiit's request and force him away. But the mention of getting away from Sheogorath...wheels turned in her head.

She'd thought about getting one Prince to fight another, right? It was dangerous, very dangerous but...this was as good of a chance as any. She _needed _to get out from under Sheogorath's thumb if she was going to save Madoka.

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" Homura asked, relaxing her aim just slightly.

The cat considered this, "...This one supposes you don't" he said honestly, "But if you were looking to escape the clutches of an unwanted Daedra, perhaps this is an acceptable risk?"

"...Who is your master?"

The Khajiit shook his head, "Not here. Come, come!" With that, the Khajiit hopped over the side of the building, and with a single glance at a concerned Nagisa, Homura abandoned caution to the wind and followed suit. Nagisa followed after her, down the dark, narrow alleyways to a nondescript wooden door in the back of a building. Homura didn't let down her guard for an instant, even as the Khajiit let her and Nagisa inside; she kept her bow and arrow at the ready.

Inside was dimly lit by a handful of lanterns that flickered against the yellow mud-brick interior. Tapestries with ornate symbols lined the walls, and in the back of the room sitting behind a small pit of smoldering blue fire stood a rather imposing statue. The legs were rather goat or bird-like, like that of a satyr or a classical depiction of Satan with multiple knee joints. A narrow spine-like tail jutted out from the billowing set of loincloths that were the only thing the figure wore. And above that? Well, it was humanoid at least. The bare chest somehow blurred the line between well-endowed and emaciation, while the hands ended in long, threatening claws that held a rather nasty-looking mace. The figure's head was demonic, with multiple horns jutting out, empty and hollow eyes, and long, jagged teeth.

A pair of Dunmer acolytes in robes similar to the Khajiit noticed the trio come in and backed away silently, leaving themselves at opposite walls so that Homura could step forward into the shrine.

"**Approach"** the blue fire ordered.

Cautiously Homura did just that.

"**You and I have much to discuss"**.

"Who are you?" Homura demanded to know.

The fire almost seemed to smile, **"Molag Bal"**.

Homura's expression remained stone-faced. Inwardly however, she felt trepidation; she hadn't read much about Molag Bal, but what she had was imposing. "The Prince of domination" she said, instantly a bit more tense than she had been before.

"**Indeed"** the fire flickered towards the cultists, **"Leave us"**. The two Dunmer and the Khajiit bowed and left the room towards the front of the building, leaving Homura and a decidedly disapproving Nagisa who remained next to the door alone with the god. Everything about this was setting the nine-year-old on edge.

"What do you want from me?" Homura asked.

"**I believe we have common goals, you and I"**.

"Do we?"

"**We both seek to dominate, to force our will on this cruel and undeserving universe, do we not?"**

Homura found herself slightly more receptive, "...Perhaps. What of it?"

"**I know of your plight, of your quest to save one Madoka Kaname, to subjugate your plane so that it is safe for her. I too have suffered for my never-ending cause. I too know what is like to be forsaken because of what I strive for"**.

Homura frowned, "You'll have to do better than vague affirmations".

A dry chuckle, **"Indeed. Very well; to business then. ****W****e can ****be of value to one another****"**.

"Explain". Homura gently paced around the room, as if seeing different angles of the unearthly fire would help her better gauge Molag Bal.

"**I can help you reclaim Madoka Kaname, and in return, you will help me take this realm the mortals call the Mundus for myself, as I so rightly deserve"**.

"You want me to help you conquer this world" Homura said blandly, cutting right to the point, "Why?" She had no real interest in getting wrapped up in the petty squabbles of other gods (especially when it risked Madoka's well being), but she figured she should at least get the full story.

"**Do you know how this world came to be?"**

Homura had done some reading, "Lorkhan and the other Aedra made it, correct?"

Another chuckle, **"Simplistic, but true. ****Lorkhan tricked the ****so-called**** Aedra into sacrificing themselves for his project. He promised them power, but in the end they were bound to the Mundus, dying for his cause and becoming trapped in his new world as concepts"**.

Well, that hit Homura unexpectedly, "...He lied to them". A familiar story.

"**Indeed. He even told Akatosh he could be king of this world. By the time they realized they'd been tricked, it was too late. They killed Lorkhan and took his place, but were trapped here. The Aedra are no different than us Daedra, we are all Et'Ada, it's just that they were sacrificed for this realm, unable to interact with anyone or anything as they fulfill their roles to the ungrateful mortals. It has been so long since I have seen any of them; sometimes I wonder if I had ever really known them at all"**.

Homura connected the dots in her head, filling in the blanks with her own story, "...They were your friends".

"**I have tried many times to break the power of the Mundus and take it for my own, each time defeated by mortals, followers of Lorkhan seeking to keep things as they are"**.

Homura turned from one of the tapestries she'd been eying, "And what would you do if you were put in charge?"

"**Rule, of course. Mortals are a weak and foolish lot. They require protection, both from outside threats and from themselves, lest they destroy themselves. I am strength, I am _dominion_"**.

"You're a whole lot more than that, aren't you?" Nagisa asked with a glare as she spoke up for the first time, "I've read about you. You sure have a lot of titles. 'Tormentor of men'? 'The Corrupter'? 'The Harvester of Souls'? 'The God of Schemes'?" her eyes narrowed, "'The King of Rape'?"

Homura eyed the girl, suspicion once again mounting as Nagisa rattled off the series of increasingly suspect titles.

Molag Bal scoffed, **"****Mortals may call me as they wish, ****I care little ****for their condemnation****. ****T****hey ****never ****appreciate what I do for them. They sit and judge with their weak morals, clinging to their ****flagrant hypocrisy ****of what is 'good' and 'righteous', never understanding the kind of sacrifice that is required to keep them safe ****even as they damn me for my efforts****"** the fire turned its attention back to Homura, **"****But you do. You understand that love demands a heavy burden, and that you must do to others what is in their best interest, even if they hate you for it"**.

"...I do, yes" Homura said quietly. She was suspicious, yes, of course she was. She was suspicious of everyone. But what he said...she understood. It was really weird, seeing part of yourself reflected in another being. How long ago had he cast his...well, for lack of a better term, 'humanity' aside?

He wanted to save those precious to him, and he was willing to be seen as a demon for it.

"**You understand what it's like to live on determination alone; to fight to complete the promise others forced you to make, even as they sabotage your efforts and abandon you. Yet you fight on because you _love _them"**.

Madoka had forced her to live on instead of allowing her to die with her. She'd forced her to make a promise to save her, to keep her from making the same mistake.

...And then even knowing that, even knowing all she had done to save her, Madoka had abandoned her. She'd stood right there with that little smile that always made Homura melt, told her it would be alright...and then just left her, taking away any chance Homura had to fulfill her promise. Homura tried not to let it eat at her, tried not to blame Madoka for it; Madoka was beautiful and perfect and so much better than the world and...and she'd still left her.

She always left her. All those years in hell, all that effort spent on her behalf, only to have it all taken away and forgotten.

She was such a terrible person to feel that way.

"...This was a mistake" Nagisa said worriedly as the conversation began to drift into uncomfortable territory. She approached Homura, "...We should leave, this isn't-"

"Quiet". Homura's command wasn't angry, it wasn't hurtful. It was said with a whisper. But the impact still made Nagisa step back in surprise. Homura turned back to the flame, "...What _exactly _is it that you propose? I won't sell my soul to you".

"**Simple. There are defenses in place to keep someone like me from entering the Mundus in full. You however are free to move about. I meanwhile have the power and knowledge you need to secure your friend. I will assist in the recapturing of Madoka Kaname and your re-ascension to divine status. In return, you will unravel the Mundus's defenses from within and allow me to take my rightful throne"**.

An alliance then. Homura could definitely see the advantages, and she could certainly trust a transactional relationship more than she could a mysterious wish or miracle with strings attached—Molag Bal's honesty was refreshing; no flowery language or sidesteps like with the Incubators. Bal knew what he wanted and just stated it outright. Honestly, she had to keep herself from accepting right here and now; it was the first sign of hope she'd had in months after aimlessly wandering about.

She would never admit it to anyone else, but she was _desperate._ Any day Madoka could potentially re-ascend. Any day she could be killed, or worse, and Homura had made zero progress.

And yet, she knew exactly what kind of deal-making had gotten them all into this mess in the first place. If she had to, she would damn herself yet again if it meant saving Madoka, but at the same time a reckless move could damn her with nothing to show for it...or worse, damn Madoka. He could just as easily turn out to be another Ambroise, only interested in her so he could get to Madoka.

Best to not be hasty.

"**An alliance with me will also do well to keep other...less savory Princes off your back, such as a certain Madgod. He sees everything as a game, and you are simply an amusing toy until you break. Do you not deserve much better? Do you not deserve to stand atop your enemies, who caused you so much pain? Do you not deserve to break this undeserving world under your heel? Do you not deserve to finally achieve your goals once and forever?"**

A shimmering light on the far table caught Homura's attention. An object now rested on it that hadn't been there before—a bow, onyx black and threatening, and as she approached she saw a shield guard attached to it the size and shape as her old shield—in fact, the bow was rather like her magical one as well, but more...well, Daedric.

"**The Bow of Desolation. An artifact of mine, made from my own essence. It is yours, if you wish. You would be my Champion, and would bring order to this broken, chaotic world. You could end wars, tear town empires, end suffering. And then I would teach you how to bring out your own divine essence once more"**.

She almost reached for it. The thought that her quest might be so easy after all, the thought that after all this, she might have finally found an ally, never-mind the potential of a kindred spirit…

But no. She still did not trust him. She had been through this before.

"...How can I trust you?"

"**You cannot, no more than I can trust you. But I have told you what I desire: Nirn and the rest of the Mundus. What you do with Madoka Kaname after I have my goal is none of my concern, nor my interest"**.

With great reluctance, Homura put her hand back. No, not like this. There were too many unknowns.

"I apologize" she said, turning back to the flame, "I can't make a decision like this on the spot".

"**Understandable. Patience of a virtue all its own; we do not get to where we want to be by being reckless, and my supply is infinite"** The door they'd used to enter opened slightly, as if by the wind, **"If you happen to change your mind, I will be waiting. Know however, that the longer you wait the more chance the Madgod has to draw you into his inescapable orbit. Did you know he killed half of a village just to give you an object lesson?"**

Homura did a double-take. Village? When? Wait. It couldn't have been…

The werebear. Yes, how convenient that a werebear had attacked the village the very night Sheogorath had forced her into staying there, right after several days teaching her magic on a boat. How convenient that he'd given her that scroll to summon the self-replicating scamp the day before.

Shit. It was just like the stories she'd read about him. Dead bodies everywhere all for some joke—and she was the punchline. How long until he turned on her? Or worse, Madoka?

Homura stared at the flame, then at the imposing statue, then at the door, then back at the flame as if expecting something more. A betrayal or attempt at coercion perhaps. But none came so she nodded, "I see. Thank you for your time". The fire said nothing but instead flickered out, leaving nothing behind but a bit of ash. With that Homura gathered Nagisa and led her out of the back-door makeshift temple and back into the back alley.

"...I don't like him" Nagisa muttered under her breath, "He's not a good guy".

"Neither am I" Homura reminded her, "I subverted Madoka's wish. I ruined her world. I attacked her friends. What kind of things have Mami and Miki been saying about me, I wonder?"

Nagisa frowned and looked away, knowing there really wasn't much more to say to that. Still, she didn't trust Molag Bal one bit. The sources she'd read were probably biased, but she also hadn't found _anything _nice about him and here he was _wanting_ things.

Speaking of Daedric Princes…

The familiar form of Sheogorath stood at the entrance to the alleyway, arms folded behind him as he leered at Homura with a thin smile He slowly approached, "...You wound me! Cavorting with rival Princes behind my back? The shame! The horror!" he frowned as he got close, "The idiocy. Can't say I blame you though, I suppose I'm a bit of a bad influence".

"Oh. Feeling threatened?" Homura asked with a smile, throwing her hand through her hair. Nagisa watched the girl's personality turn on a dime. Homura was in full melodrama mode and _enjoying_ it.

"No, but you should be" Sheogorath casually walked around the duo, "You know that title's literal, right? He gets off on it something fierce—the more they struggle, the more he likes it. Look up how vampires were created sometime. Or don't, it's not a happy story. And that's hardly the worst thing he does to his followers".

"And you murdered a village to get to me" Homura retorted, "I've already read plenty about you. No one who deals with you ever comes out ahead. They usually suffer fates worse than death".

Sheogorath _froze_, confirming Bal's story for Homura. He glared at her, his cat-eyes becoming slits as his form became far more imposing despite not actually changing at all. Any hint of his happy mania drained away into dour dementia, "You don't know what kind of forces you're meddling in, _mortal._ The politics of Oblivion are not for some love-struck schoolgirl. You are playing with literal fire".

A smirk, "Then my name finally fits me, I think". If Homura was fazed by Sheogorath she did not show it one bit as she got all up in his personal space, "I've gotten under your skin, haven't I? All this time, all the jokes and nonsense, and now you fold like a house of cards".

Sheogorath did not budge. His tone quieted—less angry and more disappointed, "...Arrogance and stupidity, all in one little package. So what will you do now?"

Homura stepped back, turning from the Madgod, "I will save Madoka Kaname. _You_ will no longer interfere, or else I will accept Molag Bal's offer. Are we clear?" Sheogorath did not respond, instead simply deciding to remain where he was standing, placing his cane in front of him with both hands. When he did not give an answer, Homura decided she was satisfied enough and beckoned to her partner as she walked out of the alley, "Nagisa".

The younger girl gave the Prince of Madness a sad, conflicting look before turning and following Homura—now very unsure of how things were progressing. She'd just wanted a life to go home to; now she was getting involved in a Daedric standoff?

Once they were gone, Sheogorath chuckled bitterly to himself, "...I've gotten soft since the last Greymarch. My old self wouldn't have gotten outplayed by the likes of Molag Bal" he looked up at the pitch-black sky as bits of ash from Red Mountain gently fell like snow, "...I suppose that's the problem with letting mortals mantle you; wouldn't you say?"

The sky didn't answer back. It never did. Sheogorath supposed that was the problem with dragon gods; no sense of time.

* * *

"I'm afraid I can't".

And just like that Madoka's plan was torpedoed.

"Why not?" she asked with a hint of desperation as the three entered the small room at the inn the Altmer monk had rented. Madoka sat down on one of the beds.

Valtir sighed regretfully. He felt for the girl, he did, but the current situation was untenable, "I need to return to Artaeum as soon as possible".

"I thought you couldn't get back without risking the Thalmor tracking you" Kyoko said, folding her arms.

"I can't, no. But...that no longer really matters, does it?" Valtir turned to Madoka with an extremely haunted look on his face—something neither girl had ever expected to see considering how composed he usually was, "You're telling me there are _quadrillions _of souls out there waiting to be claimed by hungry Princes. At this point it no longer matters if the Dominion finds our island; we are quite literally dealing with an apocalypse. I have to warn the rest of the Order; they need to be aware of what's happening and be ready to prepare...well, measures of continuity".

"...What the hell do you mean by that?" Kyoko asked with a bit of worry, letting her arms fall.

Valtir looked away, his voice grave, "We will do all we can to save this world but...just in case, we need to be ready to evacuate as much as we can while we still are able".

"...Evacuate to where?" Madoka asked.

Valtir's answer was as curt as it was cryptic, "The next".

"I can't be in two places at once" Madoka admitted, "Please, there must be something you can do".

Valtir shook his head. He knelt down, eye-level with Madoka, "You won't like this, but you need to go after the witch in Ebonheart as soon as possible".

Kyoko's fists balled up as she approached the monk, "You're telling us to abandon Sayaka" she accused angrily.

Another sigh; this one aggravated as Valtir stood up to face the redhead, "I _know_. Look, I will send word to the College as soon as I am able; they'll be able to look after her—you _know _they can. But right now trouble is brewing in Ebonheart and I can't afford to deal with a _second _apocalypse".

"...Second?" Kyoko asked. To that Valtir looked at Madoka, knowing she'd already come to the same conclusion, considering she had been the one to fill him in on how witches operated in the first place.

Madoka looked down in defeat, "...Witches grow exponentially. The more souls they eat, the more familiars they can produce. The more familiars they produce, the more witches can be born. The more witches form, the more likely they are to start merging. Without any magical girls to keep the population steady..." she trailed off. She didn't want to think about it.

"What would the numbers be before we lost Ebonheart?" Valtir asked her, forcing her to admit it.

A sigh, "...I don't know. It depends on how aggressive the witch is. Two months? Three on the outside".

"And how long until the rest of Tamriel follows?"

"...It's exponential".

"...Christ" Kyoko muttered under her breath.

"Please" Valtir begged them, "Right now the best thing you can do is go to Ebonheart. Besides, having Azura _not _pissed at us is always a good thing as well. I will find a way to help Sayaka, I swear to you".

Kyoko glanced at Madoka's expression of self-loathing, then back at Valtir, "You'd better" she said with uncharacteristically calm rage, "If the Daedra take her soul, you'll be the first I kill".

"I wouldn't blame you in the slightest".

"...I shouldn't have left them" Madoka said quietly, "...I'm such an idiot". The kneejerk response Kyoko almost blurted out was that, yeah, what the hell had she been thinking? But the truth was, Kyoko had left them all first and set it all in motion. She sat down next to Madoka and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

They were all a cornucopia of fuck-ups—maybe Homura had been on to something—except, as Kyoko noted to herself, Homes was no better. If they somehow managed to make it out of this mess, Kyoko resolved she was going to try to be better somehow.

Somehow.

Valtir sighed. There was really no further point in this discussion, and Madoka was clearly no longer in a good state of mind—something that was becoming increasingly common, "...Come on" he said gently, "Let's get some sleep. We all have busy days tomorrow".

Madoka said nothing more. Something churned within her; she felt kind of sick. Stress and guilt washed over her. No matter what she did, there was more walls blocking her, more problems keeping her from succeeding. She was hope incarnate and yet-

Kyoko could have sworn the pink haired girl's eyes flashed gold but for a second. She also could have sworn the gold coin in her pocket Wulf had given her felt slightly warmer.

* * *

Sayaka bolted upright, _screaming _in abject terror as another consecutive nightmare cost her yet another night of sleep. She was panting so hard she initially hadn't noticed Mami was sitting upright too—even with the barest light of early dawn leaking into the cave just outside of Pargran they'd been using as a base she could see the absolute fear and horror etched on the blonde's face. Mami watched Sayaka intensely—she'd just had a terrible nightmare herself where...well, terrible things had befallen Sayaka. That...couldn't just be a coincidence, right?

Maybe it was? She _was _worried for Sayaka after all, but...no...

"Mami!" Sayaka exclaimed as she fought to get herself under control, "Sorry, I didn't mean to...didn't mean to wake you".

Mami didn't immediately reply, seemingly instead trying to wrap her head around something. Finally however, she asked, "...Sayaka, how long have you been having these dreams?"

"Wha—the nightm...wait..." Sayaka blinked when she realized what Mami was implying, "Did...did you have the same-"

"Sayaka" her former mentor stressed in a tone that allowed for no leeway, "How. Long?"

"I..." Sayaka swallowed, then looked away in shame before responding with a whisper, "Since I was rescued".

She'd been having trouble sleeping; Mami knew this, she'd known for well over a month. She thought it had just been PTSD, and maybe part of it was...but this? This wasn't normal...and she certainly should not have been able to give Mami the same nightmare. Mami crawled over to Sayaka and gripped her by the arms.

"Are they always this bad?" Sayaka's silence told Mami all she needed to know. She gave Sayaka a look of exasperation laced with worry and grief, "…Why didn't you _tell anyone?!_" This felt...familiar. Watching Sayaka implode on herself and not being able to do anything...how many times had this happened? How many times had she turned into a witch right in front of her? Her returning memories were still very spotty, but becoming clearer all the time. She was fairly certain that's what they were by now, what else could they be? The day before she'd considered asking Sayaka to see if she could confirm some things, but considering the girl's current mental state, she'd decided to leave it for now.

"...I didn't want to be a problem this time" Sayaka's response was dull and quiet, and full of shame, "We had the mission and I thought...I should have been able to handle it. They're just dreams. I thought it was just because of what...what happened to me, but then it just…it kept getting worse. It keeps getting worse and it won't stop and...and..."

"And what?"

Sayaka bit her lip, "...You're going to think I'm crazy".

"Sayaka please, what's wrong?" Mami asked, worry again starting to bubble up, "I can't help you if you don't tell me".

Sayaka breathed shakily, "Sometimes when I sleep..." she paused, not sure how to phrase what she felt in a way that didn't make her seem absolutely insane, "I feel like...like something's in there with me. It keeps trying to pull me down and...and each time I don't know if I'll be able to pull myself back out". She shivered at the feeling.

Mami looked at her with alarm as she saw the fear on Sayaka's exhausted face. Pieces of a puzzle were suddenly sliding into place as she thought back to their studies at the College.

"...What?" Sayaka asked, suddenly very concerned, "What is it?"

"Nightmares, Sayaka. You didn't finish memorizing your Daedra, did you?"

"...No. Wait" dread filled her, "You think..."

Mami pulled her up off the ground with a sudden air of urgency, "We need to see Wulf, come on".

"Who?" Sayaka asked, confused.

Mami explained as she threw on her college robes and tossed Sayaka the bag containing the girl's outer armor, "A friend we met in Frost Creek, he was the one who suggested we go to the College. I found him here on his way south for the winter. He might be able to help if he's still in town".

They got dressed in silence, but finally Sayaka's emotions got the best of her, "...Mami?" she asked in a small voice as they gathered their things and prepared to return to town.

"Yes?"

Sayaka hesitated, not wanting to admit one simple fact but...she couldn't deny it anymore, "...I'm scared".

Mami drew her into a brief hug, "We'll figure this out, alright?" She wasn't sure if she said it more for Sayaka's benefit, or her own. Sayaka nodded numbly, somehow feeling even more like shit than usual as Mami led her out of the cave and back into the snow-covered landscape of Skyrim. Inwardly Mami panicked; she had _no _idea what to do, this was so far beyond her control and...and if Wulf didn't have any answers she wasn't sure she knew what she was going to do.

* * *

"Vaermina, Prince of nightmares. This is certainly some poor luck on your part" Wulf said, currently looking over Sayaka's gem with a spell, "She's definitely marked you".

"I mean no offense, but I thought you said you weren't good at soul magic" Mami said curiously.

"I've still picked up a few things here and there over the years" Wulf replied, "Tracking Daedric influences was surprisingly useful back in the Legion".

Sayaka felt the empty finger where her ring should have been as she sat on the bed. Sure, she'd had it off before, like whenever she'd been transformed, but it still felt weird not to have it—especially since she hadn't since the day before yesterday when Mami had found her. Not that she could blame Mami for keeping her gem after...well, after the incident.

She still kind of wanted to do it.

At the moment however, her gem was in Wulf's careful hands as they all sat inside his rented room. She'd been hesitant at first, but Mami had assured her Wulf was good people—and the more she watched him she more she relaxed.

...Well, as relaxed as someone who was currently a chew-toy for a second malevolent deity in a row could be, at any rate. She shivered; another god was rooting through her head. It never stopped. She was just a plaything.

Mami nudged her, urging her to return to the meal in front of her. Part of Sayaka was hungry, but a larger part didn't want anything to do with food. Still, she complied.

"What does she want with me?" Sayaka asked after forcing herself to swallow a piece of bread.

Wulf shrugged, "The whims of the Princes of Oblivion are vast and unknowable. You've definitely got her attention though". Sayaka's stomach knotted up further.

"So how do we stop it? Is there some sort of spell, or potion? An enchantment of some kind?" Mami asked. There was the barest undercurrent of panic in her otherwise collected voice. She needed to be calm, for Sayaka's sake if nothing else—even if they were on their own, she was out of her element, and she had _no idea _what to do. She'd never had to be on suicide watch for anyone; even Kyoko at her lowest had never attempted it...at least not that Mami was aware (Or had she? Again shadowed memories itched at the back of her mind); never mind keeping their soul from being devoured by edritch malevolent gods while they lived in a cave out in the medieval wilderness of all places. She had no idea where anyone else was and if they were even still _alive_ and there was no way home and-

Deep breath. Keep it together. Sayaka was depending on her.

Wulf thought for a minute, crossing his arms, "While some dreams are caused by our memories, many of them are the result of part of our souls reaching out into the waters of Oblivion while we sleep".

"...So nightmares would be when we wander into Vaermina's realm?" Mami ventured.

Wulf nodded, smiling at her catching on so fast, "Exactly. This, however...counteracting a Prince's claim on a soul is...troublesome. They're divine entities, so there aren't many options. You could try to bargain with them, though that has its own downsides. A claim can be counteracted by a stronger claim—you never signed your soul over to her, did you?" Sayaka shook her head, "Then theoretically finding favor with another god could curb Vaermina's ability to target you. The problem is figuring out who. The Aedra are largely benevolent but are limited in their ability to act, and rarely get involved unless it's directly related to their sphere. The Daedra are...tricky, and picking one to sign your soul over to may leave you off worse than you were before" he eyed Sayaka's gem in his hand, "Unless of course, you already had a patron god in mind".

Both girls shifted at that, their gaze meeting the other as the wheels turned in their heads. There were...complications, though, the biggest of course being that Madoka _wasn't _a god anymore.

Kinda.

Maybe?

Would she even know what to do?

Sayaka bowed her head, curling up in a hopeless ball on the bed after pushing the tray of food aside. Her fault. It was all on her head; if she'd done her job right then the Law of Cycles would still exist and this wouldn't be happening. Maybe she deserved to be taken by the prince of nightmares. Fear suddenly bubbled up at the thought of that.

Mami sat down next to her and recognizing her distress put a hand on her shoulder, "We need to find Madoka".

"It doesn't matter" Sayaka replied quietly, "She could be anywhere by now. And even if we knew where she was, she couldn't do anything. The Law of Cycles doesn't exist anymore, we'd only be making her worry when she's got bigger problems".

"Sayaka...please" Mami gripped her shoulder tighter as hints of desperation leaked out through her tone, her other hand reaching for Sayaka's. Her face was full of fear—what could they do if Sayaka wouldn't even try?! "Please...don't do this". She left off the end of what she'd almost said: don't do this _to me._

If Wulf was surprised at the revelation about Madoka then he didn't show it. Instead he gently handed Sayaka's soul gem back to Mami, almost knowingly as he gave her a look, "It should be stated that ultimately, a god -a true god- is an urge—an idea, a concept given voice. You cannot kill a concept. It may be reduced, it may be discredited, it may be absent for a time, but the mantle will always be there and a bond with it is harder to sever than you might think. As they say...Hope springs eternal".

Mami's eyes narrowed as she wondered exactly how much more he knew than he let on, "...Who _are_ you?" she asked in genuine curiosity.

He gave her an enigmatic smile, "I am who I have always been, an old soldier. And you are two young women who really should be with your friends. Now how about we see what we can do to get you to where you need to go, hm?"

* * *

Madoka hadn't waited a single second after being woken up by the nightmare a second night in a row. Sayaka was in imminent danger, and the longer she waited…

She ignored the thought that it might already be too late.

Madoka figured she could head down to the coast, pay passage on a ship to Winterhold, get to Sayaka, do..._something _to help her, then head back down to Ebonheart via boat...it was risky but she was marginally confident she could do it in time to clear the city of any potential witches.

Maybe.

Kinda.

She hadn't even noticed Kyoko getting up as well.

"Okay, what the _hell _was that!?" the redhead hissed as she grabbed Madoka's arm while the latter was grabbing her things. Madoka glanced back at her expression and instantly knew she'd had the same dream; a definite upgrade in danger from the night before when it had only been her and (presumably) Sayaka. Madoka half-remembered something her mom had once said: once was...uh, coincidence? No, something else. Twice was coincidence probably. Three times though, that was enemy action.

"Sayaka's in trouble".

"Yeah, I _gathered._ Why the hell did we all have the same dream?"

Madoka paused, "...She's linked to me. You all are, I guess".

"So we're going, _right?_"

"Yes. We are" Madoka slung her bag over her back and exited the room with an approving Kyoko in tow. They had just made it out to the still-dark main street when Valtir finally caught up with them.

"What are you doing!?" he exclaimed, "I thought we agreed you would go to Ebonheart!"

Madoka stopped in her tracks, torn. "I know but..."

"We can't afford to let any potential witches gain a foothold".

"We can deal with the witch when we get back" Kyoko said, wheeling on him, "If we don't get to Sayaka we're going to lose her. Again".

Madoka hadn't turned around, "...Vaermina's going to take her soul. I can't..." Her first friend. Her oldest; the older sister she'd never had. She'd always been there for Madoka, whether it was defending her from bullies, keeping her spirits up when she was sad, making sure she was always included, even being her acting hand on the mortal world where the goddess couldn't tread. She could be a bit overbearing and rash, a bit melodramatic, and her temper and ability to hold a grudge was legendary...but she could equally be silly, quick to laugh at herself, cared deeply for others, and was full of life. Sayaka was the closest thing left Madoka had to family, "...I can't lose her".

"You'll lose everyone if you abandon the mission" Valtir said seriously, "I told you, I will have someone check in with the College as soon as I can".

"You also told us we need to work together" Kyoko reminded him tersely, "So where's all that talk now?"

Madoka felt dizzy as she met with metaphorical brick wall after metaphorical brick wall that stalled her at every turn. "I can't..." She clutched at her face.

The Altmer rounded on Kyoko in aggravation, "Yes, I told you not to split up, and then you did exactly that, and now we have a problem. I am sorry, I really am. I _truly_ am. But actions have consequences, as we are now seeing".

Madoka was being pulled in too many directions. She couldn't be everywhere. She was just a girl now, just a normal useless-

Kyoko's mouth rolled into a snarl at the implications of Valtir's words, neither aware that Madoka's eyes had flickered again, "...You're going to just let her die. You're no different than the rest after all!"

They were fighting and Madoka couldn't stop them from fighting and the world was coming to an end and her friend was having her soul stolen and-

"Enough! I _never_ said that" Valtir's voice growled in anger, "I have been honest and forthcoming this entire time!"

And she wasn't good enough and she couldn't do enough and she couldn't save anyone and she was such a god-damned fool for getting into this position in the first place, and she felt nauseous and why couldn't she just-

Kyoko and Valtir continued to argue and bicker and yell at each other.

She wasn't good enough. If she was, if she was more clever or smarter, she'd be able to save both Sayaka and stop the witch, and track down who was responsible. But she wasn't; she was a dumb fool who had risked everything. She'd lost her world, she was going to lose Sayaka, she was going to ruin this world and she couldn't…

She couldn't…

"I...I can't..." she staggered, dizzy and nauseous and feeling like she wasn't quite there—almost like an out-of-body experience, like when you get lightheaded and feel like you aren't quite you, except on a much deeper level. She hunched over as the argument continued around her, "I can't..."

She couldn't breath.

No. No, no, no, no, no, NO.

There had to be a path forward, she could not accept that there wasn't. That wasn't who or what she was WHY COULDN'T SHE JUST-

"I can't DO THIS **ANYMORE!"** she roared. Valtir and Kyoko stopped their argument as the wind picked up around them. Before them stood Madoka, radiating holy light as her tear-filled eyes shone a brilliant gold. An inner light washed over Kyoko, momentarily bathing her in unexpected comfort and serenity.

"What-" Kyoko managed to blurt out, right before a portal opened in the sky behind Madoka and out dropped two very familiar teenagers who landed in a heap. Kyoko blinked incredulously, "..._What?"_

Madoka's holy aura evaporated, her eyes returning to their normal pink color as the wind died as quickly as it had started. She wobbled unsteadily, then dropped to her knees and began to empty the contents of her stomach all over the ground. Still unsteady, she was about to fall over completely. Valtir just stood, a bit confused as to what exactly had just happened.

"Woah, no you don't!" Kyoko said, rushing over to Madoka to keep her from vomiting on herself; reflexes she'd picked up from having to babysit a little sister growing up. She kept her upright and pulled the girl's hair back to give her a clear path.

"What—what happened?!" Mami managed to blurt out, laying in a heap. She looked over as she sat up "...Kyoko!?"

"Oh...wow" Kyoko said as she realized exactly what Madoka had done, a bit dumbstruck, "Uh..."

"Mmmrrrpgh" Sayaka's muffled gasping emerged from beneath Mami.

"Hm?" the blonde asked, moving so she could talk.

Sayaka gave her a flat look, "I said, your butt is on my face and your leg is on my arm!"

"Oh!" Mami suddenly looked very embarrassed as she immediately got off her friend and helped her up, "Apologies!"

Sayaka got her first good look at where they were at—run-down mud-brick buildings, paper lanterns, giant mushrooms growing out of the rockface, odd dinosaur things standing about in the nearby stable. The only thing similar to where they had been was the snow gradually falling from the...no, that wasn't snow, was it?

"...Where _are_ we?" she sighed with a hint of panic, "...Please tell me we we didn't move to _another _world".

And that was when she saw what Mami was staring at—Kyoko, staring back at them with a mixture of emotions on her face, holding Madoka's heaving form steady. The four just stood there like that in shock and a flurry of so many unsaid things for a few moments.

Up above, Homura watched in shocked, panicked silence. The dream last night had been one thing; she'd found it weird she was dreaming about Miki of all people (she categorically refused to accept the idea it was guilt) but whatever. Finding out Nagisa, Madoka, and Kyoko had all had the same dream was another. But she had just seen...nay, _felt _the undeniable essence of the Law of Cycles return, even if just for a moment, and without the help of any world shards. Her own eyes had turned a vibrant violet for just a few seconds according to Nagisa (she felt really dizzy, too). The former(?) demon gripped the pole holding the awning she was standing under white-knuckled as she watched Madoka vomit all over the street, knowing there was nothing she could do to comfort her right now, as much as she wished there was.

Finished, Madoka stood back up and upon seeing a rather rough-looking Sayaka, the former's first inclination obviously was to hug the latter—but stopped as shame overcame her. Sayaka as well looked very uneager to be in Madoka's presence. Mami and Kyoko meanwhile shared a multitude of their own looks at each other—with Mami eventually settling on hurt and disappointment and _anger_.

"...Homura?" Nagisa asked with concern as said girl hadn't said anything in minutes.

Homura's teeth ground against each other, "...I'm running out of time".

* * *

Wulf returned to the room with a the cups of tea he had promised the girls, only to find they had been whisked away. He smiled; good, good. Just as planned—and the fact that it happened now meant that he didn't have to come up with some other convoluted way to get the group back together. It seemed as though Madoka was progressing well...perhaps it was time to take her more formally under his wing? Once her task for Azura was done of course, he was not yet prepared to openly act against the Princes of Oblivion. With a snap of his fingers he instantly teleported Mami and Sayaka's things to them, then settled down in his chair with a nice cup of tea to get the day started.

He had a lot to get done. Chess games did not win themselves, after all.


	22. 2x04: I choose fight

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: I CHOOSE FIGHT**

* * *

Madoka wiped her mouth as Kyoko helped her stand up. She'd been vaguely aware of the others' arrival while she'd been vomiting last night's dinner all over the ground, but now she stood face to face with none other than Sayaka and Mami—and the former was looking worse than she'd ever seen her un-witched.

"...Sayaka" Madoka said quietly, stepping forward with the intent of giving her friend a hug. She paused however when Sayaka took a step back, a pained look on her face. Here she was again; making a mess Madoka would have to clean up and slowing her down.

"...How did we get here?" Mami asked, after pulling her angry gaze away from Kyoko and eyed Madoka, "For that matter, _where _is here?"

"Uh...Silgrad, on the border of Morrowind" Valtir stepped forward, "As for how...that's a good question" he looked at a still-somewhat dizzy Madoka with suspicion.

"So uh, Madoka here just went all glowy. Gold eyes and everything" Kyoko said, "Then you two dropped out of the sky".

Just then another portal opened up and Mami and Sayaka's things dropped in a heap behind them. Everyone eyed the returned items oddly, then everyone looked back at the person in question. Madoka shrugged, then rubbed her temple as a headache began to surface.

"I feel like my mom the morning after" she groaned, then looked at Kyoko, "You said gold eyes?" Kyoko nodded.

"...The Law of Cycles" Sayaka breathed, dumbstruck.

There was a lot to process at the moment, Mami knew. All of them together again, how they'd arrived here, everything about everything (where was Nagisa?). But one thing was pressing above all others, "We can talk about that later. Right now we have a serious problem".

Madoka nodded ruefully, eying Sayaka with sympathy, "...Vaermina".

* * *

"The logic is certainly sound, though I'm not sure how to advise you on this. The exact mechanics behind soul claims between divine beings is not well understood" Valtir said. They'd all relocated to the small inn room as the first signs of dawn began to light up the ashy sky outside. The atmosphere was distant and awkward; there were no declarations of how much each of them had missed the others, no hugs, nothing. This was nothing like the tearful reunions at the College.

Explanations had been curt and brief. Wulf had seemingly been in two places at once, knew everything about them, and _definitely _wasn't mortal. The girls had asked Valtir, but while the name rung a bell he couldn't place it—each god used a wide number of aliases to cover their tracks, and even a member of the Order could be hard-pressed to remember them all.

Still, caution was advised.

"What _can _you tell us?" Mami asked, worried. She stood, fidgeting more than usual. Kyoko leaned against Valtir's bed, while Sayaka and Madoka sat side by side on the one the latter and Kyoko had shared last night.

Valtir sighed, "Complex metaphysics, mostly. All souls are sub-gradients of something larger. Dragons are shards of Auri-El. Akatosh and Auri-El are all different versions of the AKA, the dragon oversoul. The Et'Ada are shards of Anu and Padomay, order and change. And so on and so forth; in the end we are all aspects of the godhead, the dreamer".

Kyoko frowned, "Wait, all of this is a dream?"

"Not...exactly. Not in the way you're thinking, anyway. Think of it more that everything is just a reflection of the one singular truth".

"Huh" Mami mused, "...That's starting to sound somewhat Buddhist".

"...I have no idea what that is. Anyway" Valtir returned to his explanation, "You are aspects of the larger Law of Cycles. In essence, you are sub-gradients of that larger whole. Madoka has a distinct and rather strong claim on each of your souls. The only question is..."

"Can I hold that claim as a mortal" Madoka finished for him. She glanced down at Sayaka's gem in her hand. Mami had handed it to her rather than Sayaka, which was...weird, but that was a question for later.

"You literally did the glowy-eye thing outside" Kyoko said, "Whatever happened to you, some of it's still there".

Madoka looked at her, "...So what do I do then?" At that, the group fell silent.

Valtir sighed reluctantly, "I would imagine that...you would need to talk to Vaermina herself".

After that the conversation quickly shifted into action. The only time Vaermina came out was in dreams, so Sayaka would need to be asleep. Madoka would keep hold of Sayaka's gem and wait for...well, anything really.

"I don't like this plan, for the record" Sayaka said, shifting in bed again while Madoka sat at the foot.

"Shush and sleep" Mami said, she and the others sitting on the opposite bed.

"I can't sleep with everyone looking at me!" Sayaka replied, "I can't sleep knowing she's waiting for me. This plan is all guesswork! What if she takes me for real this time?" she sat up and looked at Madoka in fear, "What if something happens? I can't…I don't know if I can do this, I'm not-" she was so tired. She was _so _tired and yet could not sleep.

"Sayaka" Madoka said gently.

"What?"

At that Madoka waved a small spell in front of Sayaka's eyes. She opened her mouth in protest when she realized what was happening, but it was too late. Madoka's sleep spell dropped Sayaka like a rock, and she fell back onto the pillow, dead to the world within seconds.

Madoka sighed, "...I hope I didn't just make a huge mistake".

Kyoko shrugged, "She had to sleep sometime. Might as well be now".

Silence reigned as the minutes ticked by. Madoka glanced down at the gem; nothing out of the ordinary. No signs of nightmares from Sayaka's end yet either. She was nervous; what if this didn't work? What if Vaermina just laughed her off? What if all this was because Homura had cut Sayaka off from the Law of Cycles and Madoka _didn't _have a claim on her anymore? This was such a hair-brained scheme and...and…

"This was a bad idea" she muttered to herself.

Before the others could reply however, Sayaka shifted in her sleep, her face contorting in distress.

Right on cue.

Madoka looked back down at her gem, peering at it closely, and then gasped quietly when she saw what was happening—Sayaka's gem had clouded over. It wasn't grief, that much was certain. Her soul seemed to flicker, in and out...and Madoka felt a presence, alien and malicious. Sayaka's soul almost felt like it was siphoning through her fingers. Madoka instinctively gripped the gem tighter.

"Why are you here?" Madoka asked. The response she got wasn't in words, more like...feelings. Urges. Contempt for Madoka. Amusement at her attempt. Mocking.

"Why are you here?" Madoka repeated, "What do you want with Sayaka!?"

Vaermina didn't bother responding. Sayaka's nightmares intensified, the teenager shifting in her sleep and unable to wake up thanks to Madoka's sleep spell.

This had been a _bad _plan.

"Stop..." Sayaka muttered quietly in her sleep.

"Stop it!" Madoka exclaimed in a mixture of fear, panic, and anger, "Leave her alone!"

She could still feel Sayaka slipping away into the Quagmire. She could still feel her ebbing away, back into Vaermina's realm of torture, and there was _nothing she could do._

Something flickered in Kyoko's pocket. Surprised, she reached in to find...oh, right, Wulf's lucky coin. The one that had mysteriously warmed up last night when she thought she'd seen Madoka's eyes flicker the first time. And then again when she'd pulled that little stunt outside.

It was warm again. What was it Wulf had said?

...Ah. Ah-hah. This was just stupid enough to work.

Kyoko got off the bed and knelt on the floor in front of Madoka's hunched over form, gently grasping her hands as she handed the coin over to her, "...I think this is supposed to be for you". When Madoka gave her an odd look she shrugged and explained, "Wulf told me it was his lucky coin, and that luck's a good substitute for hope".

Madoka took a deep, steadying breath. She had her friends at her side. She had another god in her corner who had seemingly set this all up.

So she trusted in Wulf.

Madoka opened her eyes, a faint golden glimmer in her irises as the coin crackled with energy. The cloud in Sayaka's gem jolted. Madoka felt Vaermina's response: shock, confusion, taking offense at Madoka's _gall._

"Leave her alone" Madoka said sternly, "She's..." Madoka trailed off; knowing Sayaka's soul was claimed by her was one thing—actually _saying_ she was hers was...well, out of character.

"She's ours" Kyoko said helpfully, finishing the words. Madoka shared a smile with her. Mami knelt down next to her, taking her hands into Madoka's and Kyoko's—her own feelings could come later.

Vaermina redoubled her efforts, again reaching for Sayaka. To this the three girls squeezed harder, and something unexpected happened as Madoka's eyes flared.

Vaermina recoiled in _pain._ The Prince of Nightmares was taken aback—the touch of the Law of Cycles had hurt her, nay, _seared _her.

_What **are** you?_

The combined will of the girls began to pull Sayaka out of the Quagmire—only for Vaermina to get her second wind and try once more. Madoka glared.

"I said _**no**_".

She _pulled._

Pain shot through Vaermina, sapping the god of strength and power and forcing her to let go of Sayaka's soul.

_Fine. Keep the girl. I already have what I want._

Sayaka in hopeful desperation gripped Madoka, Kyoko, and Mami's hands as tightly as she could as the Law of Cycles ripped her out of Vaermina's realm and back into the safety of her gem.

Madoka inhaled as Sayaka's gem returned to its brilliant azure shade. A glance over at her sleeping form was a sight Madoka hadn't seen in months: Sayaka asleep and content. Madoka dropped down and splayed herself across the foot of the bed.

"I can't believe that _worked_". The implications were not lost on Madoka: she could potentially protect _any _of her friends from rival Princes.

"That was kinda...anticlimactic_" _Kyoko mused. Mami glared at her and she put up her hands in protest, "Not that I'm complaining!"

"...What did she mean by 'she had what she wanted'?" Mami asked with concern, sitting back on the other bed. Madoka sat back up, and the girls all gave each other worried looks.

"For now, it's a problem for another day" Valtir said, standing up as he looked at Madoka, "I hate to sound like a broken memospore, but now that you've rescued your friend..."

Madoka nodded, "I know. I'll go as soon as Sayaka's awake. I promise".

Valtir nodded back and began to gather his things, "I do apologize for leaving you in the lurch, but time is of the essence. I'll try to correspond with you as soon as I can" he pulled out the sack of coins he'd brought with him for the trip and handed it to Madoka, "Here. This will get you and your friends where you need to go".

"...You don't need it?" Mami asked, surprised.

"I won't be taking a normal route back to Artaeum" the monk said. The girls watched him as he got ready, gathering the few possessions he'd brought with him such as his staff and traveling robe before he approached the door. He turned back to them to offer some final advice, "I don't believe I need to say this after what you four have experienced here, but please for all that is good: stay together this time. We cannot afford you being picked off one by one".

The three girls glanced at each other, a whirlwind of emotions between them, before Madoka stood and nodded at Valtir, "We won't, we promise. And...thank you. For everything".

Valtir gave one last look of longing, wishing he could stick around and make sure they were going to be okay...but the mission took prescience. The old elf bid them good-bye and left the inn, heading away from the town so he could find a good place to summon a portal to the pocket realm the Psijic Order called home.

...And hope to the Aedra that the Thalmor wouldn't pick up the scent with their constant scrying.

Back in the inn, Madoka rubbed her wrist with her other hand, Sayaka's soul gem and Wulf's coin still in her possession, "Why do I feel like we just got cut loose?" she asked sadly.

Kyoko's reply was deadpan, "Because that's _exactly_ what just happened".

"Madoka" Mami's voice sounded behind her. It was tight and controlled, but clearly emotional.

"Hm?" Madoka asked, turning. She didn't realize the danger until it was too late. The crack of Mami's hand impacting Madoka's face sounded through the room and Kyoko stood up in a mixture of surprise and shock. Madoka herself seemed rather shocked as well; so much so that she almost didn't register the pain at first. She felt her cheek as tears began to surface.

"...Mami?" she squeaked.

Mami was arguably worse off. She'd tried to keep a solemn demeanor, her eyes closed and her lips tight as she gripped the hand that had assaulted Madoka—but she was failing bad as emotions she'd kept bottled up for the past two weeks began to spill out.

"What were you _thinking?!"_

Madoka was too stunned to immediately reply.

"You left us!" Mami shouted angrily, "You left _her! _She was in the middle of a crisis, and _you left her!"_

"I...I didn't mean..." Madoka hadn't meant to. She'd...she'd thought they'd be safer without her making things worse for them. She hadn't thought…

"...Mami" Kyoko approached her former mentor cautiously in an attempt to calm her down.

"And _YOU_!" Mami wheeled around on Kyoko with a roar as any semblance of stability within her faltered and the tears began to leak out. Kyoko stepped back in defense, "How _dare_ you! Do you have any idea what I've spent the last two weeks doing!? While you two were off gallivanting who knows where, I was keeping Sayaka from _killing herself!_"

Kyoko froze, her mouth going dry at that thought.

"...What?" Madoka managed to croak out in shock, looking down at the gem in her hand with disbelief.

"She was about to throw her gem into the river rapids. I had to talk her down. If I had been one second slower..." Mami's face bunched up as the facts rushed up to her; one second slower and Sayaka would not be here. She had been _so close _to losing her for good, and with no one else around to help. Mami began to cry, the dam finally bursting, "I'm sorry" she said between sobs, "I...I should be more composed..."

Kyoko blankly dropped onto the bed, staring into the middle distance before stealing a glance at Sayaka. Considering everything, she hadn't really considered how their next meetup would go. And now to think she had come so close to…

"...I didn't mean..." Madoka wavered as she came to terms with this, "That's...why would she do that!?"

"She thinks she failed you" Mami told her, still crying but pushing herself to get back under control, "She's convinced she's the problem and that you abandoned her because of it".

"I...she didn't fail me" Madoka stammered. It was her own fault, after all. The full impact was starting to hit her: she'd almost lost Sayaka for good. Because she'd _left_.

Mami grabbed her tightly by the arm as she gave Madoka an intense glare, "Then _tell her that"._ As she looked into Mami's eyes Madoka could see the fear and pleading desperation. The information sunk into Madoka and Kyoko, and suddenly feeling very self-conscious Mami let Madoka go and stepped back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." a change of subject was in order, and honestly as angry and worried and _exhausted _as she was, there was something else nagging at her mind. She wiped her eyes, "Where's Nagisa?"

Kyoko and Madoka shared a worried glance, then looked back at Mami, "We...thought she was with you" Madoka said.

"She _left_" Mami reminded Madoka, "She went off with Kyoko when we weren't looking".

"Yeah, and then I told her to go back to you guys" Kyoko said as dread pooled in, "Are...you saying she didn't?"

Madoka shifted into dismay, "...So no one's seen Nagisa in _weeks?!_"

No one wanted to say what they were all thinking. Kyoko _almost _said it, but even she had the tact not to. Because if she said it, it could be _true_. She rubbed her mouth; she should have let Nagisa come with. Maybe then she wouldn't have gotten overwhelmed by those bandit nobodies.

We'll...we'll find her" Madoka said hesitantly, recovering slightly, "She's a smart girl. She's probably fine and just laying low in Shor's Stone, or Nimalten, or any number of other towns in the Rift" she smiled sadly, "She did say she wanted to visit and see the leaves".

"...She doesn't want to be found" Mami said quietly, looking at nothing in particular. If Kyoko had told her to go back that night, then that meant Nagisa had made a conscious effort not to return to the camp. Kyoko and Madoka both looked at the ground in shame at that.

And that was the _optimistic _possibility.

From there the conversation evaporated and a tense and unsettled quiet fell around the three girls and their sleeping companion. Sayaka was likely going to be out of it for the rest of the day, leaving the trio to stew in their own unresolved emotions. The day went by slowly: occasionally one of the girls would leave the room to get some fresh air (mostly Kyoko and Mami; Madoka did not leave her spot at Sayaka's side), but by and large they just sat in silence and waited for Sayaka to wake up, with only the bare minimum of conversation between them—mostly relegated to 'I'm stepping out for a bit' and 'What does everyone want for dinner?'...and Kyoko's 'I need to take a dump'. Mami in particular was not really in the mood for conversation; she was both furious at the other girls and increasingly embarrassed at herself for cracking like that in front of them.

She shouldn't have hit Madoka, that had been in extremely poor form. She thus spent most of the day reading, trying her best to avoid the others while still keeping them close at hand.

Madoka and Kyoko likely would have talked a bit more—and on the occasions that Mami was out of the room they did—but Mami's mood was enough to quiet them like chastened children. That actually was mildly amusing and uplifting to Kyoko: that Mami could put even _god _in time-out.

On occasion Kyoko would catch Madoka seemingly attempting to bring Nagisa to her (and if Madoka was being honest with herself, Homura as well), the same way she'd accidentally done for Sayaka and Mami—but no dice. Neither Wulf's coin nor Madoka's emotional state would seemingly comply and as the day wore on the increasingly frustrated Madoka tried less and less.

Kyoko for her part spent the day increasingly agitated and impatient. Part of it was boredom...and part of it was that she really only had her own thoughts to occupy her time...and increasingly they drew themselves to what would happen when Sayaka woke up. What would Kyoko say to her? What would she say to Kyoko? What would Mami say? Scenario after scenario ran through her mind (few of them good) and she was starting to psych herself out—explaining Kyoko's increasing frequency of leaving the inn to get some fresh air outside. She never went far though; not alone, not anymore.

And so the day slowly and somewhat agonizingly came to a close. Kyoko was first to give in, wisely deciding to sleep on the bed that _didn't _have Sayaka, intending to bunk with Mami whenever the older girl finally called it quits.

"I'm sorry".

Mami looked up from her book, reading at the small end-table next to the door and illuminated by the small lantern in the middle of the table as the sun had long since gone down. There stood Madoka, wrapped in a blanket, "I've messed up a lot lately".

Mami shook her head slightly in just...abject disbelief, "...Why?" she whispered, not understanding Madoka's actions in the slightest. The hurt in her voice just made Madoka feel even worse.

Madoka looked down, clutching the blanket tighter, "...I didn't want any of you to suffer for my mistakes. I'm the one who made the contract with Kyubey. I'm the one who...who did all this" she closed her eyes and shook away the unpleasant thoughts, "You shouldn't have to clean up my mess. None of you should".

Mami shook her head as she gently closed her book and gave Madoka her full attention, still in disbelief. "...Do you really think so little of us?"

"...What?" Madoka asked with shame and confusion.

Mami stood up with a troubled look on her face. She looked at Madoka, trying to sort the hazy returning memories in her mind, "...I was your mentor, wasn't I? I trained you" she said, confirming to Madoka that like Kyoko, her memories were slowly trickling in, "Sayaka and Nagisa served you as your right hand. Kyoko fought beside you. And you couldn't even trust us" she shook her head again in hurt disbelief, "Do we really mean that little to you?"

Madoka felt Mami's words stab her right through the heart, and Mami's expression only made it worse. She hadn't really considered how much leaving was going to hurt her, "...You guys mean more to me than you can imagine" Madoka said, "But you were all suffering because of me and..."

"And what? Madoka, we're not...we're not fragile things to be protected_._ We're supposed to be your friends. We _chose_ to come with you, and you ditched us". On some level Mami knew she was being questionably too harsh on the poor girl, but she was so angry and disappointed and...and Sayaka had almost died. She had almost been left behind, alone, in an unknown, hostile place.

And it was odd, but Mami was far more hurt and disappointed at Madoka than she was at Kyoko, even though the latter had been far more damaging in her exit. She was angry at both of course, but it hadn't felt all that out of character for Kyoko, it was almost a reoccurring habit for her (Was it? Had she done it in her past lives?). But Madoka? While Mami's memories of her other selves were still spotty, everything she knew about Madoka from her time in Homura's various worlds and here in Tamriel, Madoka was a bright, thoughtful girl who put others first and rarely if ever made rash moves. In fact if Mami was being honest with herself, she was envious at how much better Madoka was at motivating people than herself.

And that was it, she supposed. She, on some level, expected this from Kyoko. But Madoka should have _known _better.

Madoka was despondent, rubbing her elbow with her other hand, "...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I don't know what else to say".

Mami let out a deep, reluctant sigh as she let some of the tension ebb out of her body, "I'm sorry I hit you earlier. I didn't have the right". Madoka absently rubbed the cheek Mami had struck, even though the pain had vanished hours ago. Mami eyed the lantern on the table; it was late, she was starting to get tired and...honestly, there wasn't really any other place for this conversation to go right now. Mami knew Madoka was sorry, she just...needed time. She was still agitated and stressed and...and she had come so close to losing someone.

Just one second slower and...no, no don't think about it.

"I'm glad you're alright" Mami said with a thin, tight smile, "...We should get to bed. It's late, and...we probably have a full day tomorrow, don't we?" She wasn't _entirely _sure what was going on, but what Valtir had said had clued her in: something was going on in Ebonheart.

Madoka returned with a sad half-smile of her own and a nod before turning back to Sayaka's bed. Mami put out the lantern, and that was that.

* * *

Sayaka's first thought as she awoke was that straw beds were overrated. What she wouldn't give for a real mattress.

Her second thought as her eyes fluttered open to see the dim light of the ashen sky outside the window filter into the room was that _holy shit_ she hadn't woken up screaming. What a miracle that was.

...That's right. Madoka and the others had saved her. She remembered that. It had worked.

It had worked! She almost started laughing right there, if it hadn't immediately turned into a yawn.

She felt...good. Like okay, she still felt like shit considering how her life was going, and she was still dead-tired but a few hours of sleep had done wonders for her. How late was it, anyway? When Madoka had put her under it had not quite been dawn yet, but with the cloudy sky it was hard to tell how much time had passed.

Eh, whatever. She needed more; with a groan Sayaka pulled the blanket up and prepared to go back into her blissful coma where she didn't have to deal with the world or how much of a shit-stain of a person she was.

"Uh uh! Rise and shine Sayaka!" Madoka's cheery voice sounded from the otherwise empty room, "Twenty-six hours is long enough".

_Twenty-__six_?! Sayaka had been prepared to fight Madoka for another hour or two, but she'd been out cold for a whole day?! Sayaka glanced over where Madoka's voice had come from. There she stood at the end of the bed with a tray of food—a plate for each of them.

"Hungry?"

Sayaka's stomach rumbled in rebellion. Traitorous bodily functions. Madoka giggled as Sayaka reluctantly sat up, allowing Madoka to place the tray over her friend's lap.

"...Breakfast in bed, huh?" Sayaka lightly joked, before looking over at the other empty bed, "Where are the others?"

Madoka sat down next to her friend, her cheer vanishing as tenseness began to build, "Outside. I asked them if they'd eat out in the main tavern so we could talk".

Uh oh. "...Talk?"

Madoka pointed to the food, "Eat. Mami says you haven't been".

"Uh..." Sayaka glanced down at the alien food, "What's...um..."

Madoka grinned before pointing at each dish in turn, "Scrambled kwama eggs, guar jerky, saltrice bread, scrib jelly. Breakfast of heroes".

That was the wrong thing to say. Any lightness in Sayaka's expression faded as she withdrew into herself a bit. Madoka berated herself for the poor choice of words in retrospect.

"Eat" she commanded again, and Sayaka reluctantly did as she asked, "Mami...told me what happened" Madoka said, deciding there wasn't any real reason to beat around the bush any longer now that she'd unintentionally killed the mood. When Sayaka's response was just to make herself smaller. Madoka frowned, reaching for her friend's shoulder, "Sayaka, _why_?"

Sayaka was already regretting her decision back at Pargran. It was weak, cowardly, and childish. All it did was make everyone else worry about her even more when they already had their plates full. It just made everything worse. _She _just made everything worse. Every choice she made was wrong, every emotion she felt was wrong, every thing she wanted was wrong.

And without the Law of Cycles to give her redemption, that's what she was: wrong. Just a pile of repeating mistakes.

She put on a false smile, "Yeah, sorry, that was a pretty boneheaded move, huh? Don't know what I was thinking; I guess the nightmares just got to me. But you fixed that!"

"Sayaka" Madoka said flatly, moving closer to her on the bed. She knew well enough when Sayaka was just stonewalling her, and this time she couldn't afford to just let her be.

"I'm fine!" Sayaka waved her off. She didn't want to talk about this. She didn't want to deal with it. She just wanted it all to go away.

Madoka's initial expression of irritation at Sayaka's notorious stonewalling quickly gave way to pained sympathy, "Sayaka, you're terrible at lying". Sayaka's face fell and she looked away, "...You haven't been okay since we got here, have you? And I've been ignoring it".

"You shouldn't have to worry about me when you've got bigger problems to deal with" Sayaka said quietly.

No. No, this wasn't going to fly with Madoka. "...Do you remember first grade? When Eiji Okada was picking on me? You asked me for weeks if I was alright and I insisted I was fine? Then one day at PE he was trying to pull my hair and..."

"...And I came over and yelled at him" Sayaka remembered fondly, her mood brightening just a smidge, "Never bothered you again".

"You scared the daylights out of him!" Madoka laughed softly, "You came over screaming and swinging a bat!"

Sayaka gave her an indignant look, "I was _not _swinging! It was softball day and I just happened to have the bat in my hand" a pause, "...Okay, maybe I was swinging a _little_". She joined Madoka's laughter. Madoka nudged her and while Sayaka might have been a bit dense, she wasn't _that _dense.

She sighed, rolling up her legs from under the tray and wrapping her arms around her knees, "...My life is on reruns, and it's always the same damn episode. I'm sorry".

"...I didn't leave because I thought you were in the way" Madoka said suddenly as she remembered Mami's words and gently gripped her friend's shoulder, "I left because I thought I was hurting the rest of you" a pause as she realized something, "...But I just made things worse by doing that, didn't I?"

Sayaka looked at her for a moment, unable to fully articulate a response. Of _course _Madoka didn't leave her behind because she was useless; Madoka was too nice a person for that. Of course Madoka would think _she _was the inconvenience. Sayaka shook her head just slightly, unable to figure out how she wanted to express how wrong all of this was, how wrong _she_ was.

"...Why do you put up with me?" she finally blurted out. Madoka gave her a hurt yet confused look, seemingly just as lost as she was with a reply. Sayaka clarified, "All I do is make things worse. No matter what I do, no matter how much I try, no matter how many chances I get, no matter how much I try to change..." she shook her head, "...Just a screwup".

"...Sayaka..." Madoka felt her heart break at Sayaka's flat-toned rant at herself. She wanted to tell her she was wrong, wanted to reassure her, to make things better...but what could she say that wouldn't sound like empty platitudes? "You...you're not..."

Sayaka gave her a flat, uncompromising look, "Nearly broke the world shard and killed everyone we've ever known; that would have been fun. Then I split the group up by screaming at everyone".

"Sayaka-"

"This is of course whileI spent almost two months letting a second god in a row turn me into their personal chewtoy because I'm too stupid to put two and two together, forcing you to double-back for me and save me _again _when you should be busy saving the world".

"Sayaka-"

Sayaka laughed bitterly at herself, "Oh, and let's not forget the mess that got us into this in the first place! I choke and ruin everything by letting th-" she caught herself, "the _T__ransfer __S__tudent_ do what she wants". Couldn't even stop the Demon from doing whatever she wanted to her. _Alone and powerless and-_ Sayaka shook off the darker thoughts, "...It's just like how it was before I died. Nothing's changed. I ruin everything around me". Angrily, Sayaka shoved a forkful of the eggs on her plate into her mouth and swallowed, "Why can't I stop messing up?"

Without the peace the Law of Cycles provided, Madoka could only watch as Sayaka continued her would-be implosion—if they had been on Earth Madoka knew she'd probably have witched by now. It was almost as if for the first time she was seeing her wish from a completely different angle: instead of salvation and eternal rest, it was more like an eternal respite. It was a false vacuum of emotions; fine as long as the gestalt of her wish and her rescued magical girls were together, but the second the bottom fell out the descent towards the abyss resumed. The problems hadn't evaporated, they'd just been muted and put on hold.

Was that why Nagisa had left? Had her wish really only been the divine equivalent of a band-aid? Something that outwardly looked fine only for it to rot on the inside?

Azura's words gnawed at Madoka. She really was so selfish and petty and vain, just using the others to prop herself up.

"You're wrong, it's _my_ fault. It's always been my fault" Madoka told Sayaka, "This is all on me. I made a wish and turned everything on its head. Then I put you in a position you never should have been in in the first place. I should have been smarter, should have seen more things coming". She had been an omniscient goddess, yet she couldn't have seen what her dearest friend was going to do? Pathetic.

"I was your Herald. I held your memories" Sayaka brushed aside a few tears that were forming, "Making sure nothing happened to you was my _job, _and I wasn't good enough".

"...Homura become a god, Sayaka. There wasn't anything you could have done" Madoka leaned in, resting against Sayaka's shoulder as the two slumped back slightly against the wall, "I _did _fight her...and I killed everyone in the process. I'm pretty sure _I'm_ the screwup here, not you".

"You're not the one whose friends felt they had to lie to her face for weeks". Ouch. Madoka winced a bit at that. "I don't deserve to be your herald. I don't deserve your salvation. It would have been better if I had just-"

Sayaka's self-rant was interrupted by a sudden tight hug from Madoka, "Don't ever say that. Things wouldn't be better if you weren't around" Madoka felt Sayaka's come around her as she returned the hug. Sayaka put her head against Madoka's shoulder as tears began to fall, "...I don't need a herald right now, or an archangel, or any of that stuff. I just need my friend. I need Sayaka".

"...Sayaka's a piece of trash who lets everyone down" Sayaka's muffled voice said.

Madoka shook her head, "Sayaka's someone important to me, who protected me from bullies, who shared her lunch when I forgot mine, who always made me laugh, who made sure I was always okay no matter how much it inconvenienced her. She's someone who cares deeply and feels every emotion so intensely. She's someone I've never stopped believing in, not for a minute. She might be a bit rash, but I chose her for a reason, and if I'm being honest..." Madoka bit her lip, still feeling very uneasy about dragging the others back into this, "...I could really use her help right now".

"No you don't. You have Mami and Kyoko. They're stronger, better-"

"Sayaka" there was something in Madoka's voice that made Sayaka's hair stand on end. Something...uncertain. Fear? Madoka hadn't shown anything like that since before she'd ascended. Madoka swallowed, summoning her courage as she began to admit things, inwardly fearing Sayaka would see her for the monster she was, "...I've messed up _so _bad, so much worse than we thought you have no idea, and...and I don't know if I can fix it. I'm stressed and scared and...I don't know what I'm doing anymore".

"...Madoka?" Sayaka asked tentatively with worry, even she began to feel Madoka's own tears on her shoulder. Madoka's words and tone sent shivers through her—what had happened while she'd been away?

"I'm sorry" Madoka sobbed quietly, "I'm sorry I neglected you. I thought...I just wanted everyone accounted for and safe and...I'm not used to being mortal anymore. And I just...I need you. I need all of you. I'm sorry. I need you to help me clean up my mess. I'm the screwup and I'm sorry".

"I'm sorry for making you worry" Sayaka muttered back as she began to cry too, "I'm sorry for being nothing but trouble".

"No, I'm sorry for being trouble".

Rough giggling emerged from the crying; first from Sayaka, then shortly after from Madoka at the ludicrousness of the situation.

"...Are we really just going to keep apologizing in circles?" Sayaka asked.

"...Sorry" Madoka said softly before both of them cracked up a bit.

Sayaka knew the answer, she _knew _the answer, but she still had to ask anyway for peace of mind, "...We're still friends, right?"

Madoka hugged her tighter, "As long as you'll let me".

* * *

Breakfast was...quiet. And awkward. Kyoko had attempted a few jokes to get a rise out of Mami and break the ice—mostly at Madoka and Sayaka's expense, about how they were probably being Diabetes Central right now—but Mami wasn't having any of it. She ate her food across from Kyoko at a small table in the inn's tavern in stony silence.

"...You're mad at me, aren't you?" Kyoko finally ventured.

Mami glanced up from her plate with a cold glare and a suspiciously light tone, "And why would I be angry at you?"

Kyoko flinched. Despite all her bluster and fury, somewhere deep inside herself Kyoko was _still _afraid of Mami. Normally it didn't matter all too much because Mami could be a bit of a pushover at times, but when she was genuinely angry Kyoko's steel would instantly give way and she'd revert to that awkward twelve year old homeschooled girl who had disappointed her mentor and adoptive older sister figure because she'd disregarded her orders and gotten in over her head against a wraith swarm.

"Er, well..."

"Please, Kyoko. Enlighten me".

Oh boy.

"I uh...well...I did sort of up and leave, huh?" Kyoko said awkwardly.

"And?"

Kyoko scratched the back of her ear, "Uh...I might have kinda caused the group to split up".

"And?"

Kyoko's initial confusion gave way to shame, "...Oh. This is about Nagisa, isn't it?"

Mami audibly sucked in a deep inhale, quieting her anger.

"...Yeah, it's about Nagisa" Kyoko muttered to herself as she looked down.

"'Mad' is not the word I would use to describe myself" Mami said at last, "'Livid' seems appropriate. 'Abject disappointment' is another".

"...I told her to go back to you guys" Kyoko said, "This is exactly why I didn't want her coming with me".

"And that's nice and all, but you forget Kyoko: you are not an island! You do not function alone. You did not consider how your actions would influence the group!" Mami glared angrily, "She looked up to you and you let her down".

Kyoko blinked in confusion, "Are...are you saying you _wanted_ me to take her with me?"

"Yes! No. I don't know" Mami put her face in her hands as she felt her battered facade crack once again, "God _damn _it, Kyoko". How much of her anger at Kyoko was really meant for herself? "...We all let her down, and now she's probably dead".

A thin, weary smile formed on Kyoko's lips despite everything, "You're gonna give up on her that easily?"

"What?"

Kyoko hesitated a bit, but ultimately decided to go all in. Fuck it, "...You should have more faith in her. She's a smart kid; asks the right questions, resourceful, knows when and how to fight. Naturally skeptical. Friendly as shit. I wouldn't have made it off Solstheim without her help. We haven't seen the last of her".

"...When did you become an optimist?"

Kyoko had to think about that a bit. It _was_ a bit weird, being on the other side of this for once. She smiled wanly, "...I'm not. That's how you know you can trust me".

"Can I?" Mami asked seriously. Kyoko deflated right back to her cowering position, "How many times has this happened?"

Kyoko pouted a bit before stuffing her face again, "...Come on. I think it's kinda unfair to blame me for what happened to us in past lives. Which by the way, we didn't even start to remember until just recently". Well, at least she had confirmation Mami was having the same thing happen to her. Kyoko had kind of assumed, but still.

Frustration crossed Mami's face. She knew on some level Kyoko wasn't entirely _wrong_, but yet her new memories were still leaving her with very hurt feelings only exacerbated by Kyoko's recent actions. She may have not been responsible for those acts in _this_ timeline, but it was still her doing. She was just frustrated, and hurt, and confused, and…

Mami finished the last of her meal, "I'm sorry" she stood up, "I need to think about some things".

As the blonde began to walk out Kyoko called to her, "...I really did think she went back to you guys. If I'd known..."

"I know" Mami admitted. She shared some of the blame, and hadn't really wanted to admit it. What a terrible leader she turned out to be. "...I'm glad you're alright, Kyoko. Despite everything". The two shared one last brief, pained smile before Mami turned and left to get some fresh air, leaving an uncharacteristically non-hungry Kyoko behind to stew in her guilt.

* * *

The four girls stared down at the grief seed Kyoko had placed on the table in their room. Kyoko and Madoka's expressions were grim, while Sayaka and Mami were still processing the rather heavy series of information bombs they'd just received.

The entire game had just changed. So, this is what Madoka had meant about things being so much worse than they'd thought: Daedric Princes claiming world shards, honest-to-god witches on the loose, and a looming apocalypse. Sayaka let out a shaky exhale.

It was a very somber Mami that voiced the underlying problem, "So we need the world shards to rebuild the Law of Cycles, but we need the Law of Cycles to retake the missing world shards".

"And in the meantime we're all at risk of being hunted by the Princes" Kyoko added. Sayaka shifted awkwardly at that, and Kyoko immediately felt a little bad about bringing it up.

"Then there's the more immediate problem of the witches" Madoka said, "If the Thalmor really are making them, then there's no telling what kind of damage they could do".

"So what do we do then? What's the plan?" Kyoko asked, looking between Mami and Madoka. Madoka leaned back against her chair in frustration. What Mami had said was the crux of the problem: they were stuck in a catch-22.

"...Are there other ways to achieve godhood?" Mami asked, gazing down at the table with a furrowed brow. The girls all stole glances at one another.

"...Valtir seemed to think so, maybe" Madoka said slowly, the barest inklings of a plan beginning to manifest inside her head, "...He mentioned a few people who managed to pull it off. Tiber Septim, Auri-El, Mani...Mani-something..." she cursed herself for not being able to remember more.

"...Mannimarco" Mami mused, vaguely remembering the name from their lessons at the College.

"But how did they do it?" Kyoko asked.

Mami glanced at her, "That, I believe, is something we need to find out".

"...Feh, figures the old guy isn't around when we need him" Kyoko said.

"Which one?" asked Mami.

"Either".

"...Do you really think I can?" Madoka asked them suddenly.

Kyoko shrugged, "You were doing that creepy glowing-eyes thing when you friggin _teleported _Mami and Sayaka here, and then you went up against a Prince and won. So y'know...that's a thing".

"Agreed" Mami said, "There's obviously at least some residual part of the Law of Cycles still present". That _was _true, and it made Madoka feel just a bit better. Mami switched topics a bit, "I would like to head back to Skyrim after we've dealt with the witches here" Mami said, "We need to track down Nagisa, and the College of Winterhold is probably our best bet on learning about our..._chosen_ subject of study".

Kyoko gave her a skeptical look, "Why bother with the College? It's just a dinky old castle in the middle of the damn arctic".

"And where would you suggest?"

"Psh. The Imperial City, obviously. It's where I was headed before I ran into Wulf. It's the biggest city in Tamriel, there's gotta be a university or library or _something_ we can use" Kyoko said.

"...I'd like to see the Imperial City" Madoka admitted, "And if I'm being honest, Winterhold's probably a little too cold this time of year anyway. The sea route's probably blocked, and I don't know if we'd do too well in open country". She hadn't really given it much thought before, but Madoka was actually rather glad she didn't have to make a B-line for the arctic to save Sayaka in the dead of winter.

Mami nodded, finding herself agreeing with the others' sentiments, "Very well, the Imperial City it is".

"After we find Nagisa, of course" Madoka added to the others' approval, "If she's still near The Rift we can just use one of the major Jerall passes to get into Cyrodiil from there".

"...Had any luck tracking her down with your kinda-god powers?" Kyoko asked her.

Madoka shook her head glumly, "Sorry, no". A lull in the conversation caused her to turn toward the silent fourth member of their group, "...Sayaka?"

"Hm?" she asked, looking up.

"You okay? You haven't said anything".

Noticing the entire group was now looking at her, Sayaka put on a fake cheery smile and waved them off, "Ah, I'm fine. I'm an idiot, remember? Nothing to contribute". Really she just wanted them to ignore her. Anything she said or did would inevitably backfire, so it was best to be seen and not heard—close enough they wouldn't worry, isolated enough that she wouldn't ruin things. Case in point: she didn't even have her soul gem right now; Mami was still holding onto it. They didn't trust her, and for good reason.

Madoka lingered on Sayaka for a moment, unsatisfied while the other two resumed the conversation.

"...I suppose it's time to put it to a vote then" Mami said with a sigh, "The way I see it, we have two options ahead of us. The first, is that we do what we said we would: we deal with the witches in Ebonheart, make sure everything is clear, and then get a world shard from Azura. Then..." she grimaced with distaste, "Then we find a place to bunker down and hide. Where that is remains to be seen; perhaps Artaeum, or worst case scenario we find one of the friendlier Daedric Princes to enter the service of, it doesn't matter at the moment. What matters is we ride out this storm and let the Psijic Order fix things and we live out our lives in self-imposed exile". Mami looked up at the group, clearly far more in favor of the second option, "The other option is that we _fight_. We find some other way to rebuild the Law of Cycles, we collect as many shards as we can in the process, and then we take the fight to the Daedric Princes themselves" a pause, "...I choose fight".

Kyoko nodded. She wasn't a true believer by any means and so at first glance she didn't really know why she was here beyond Wulf's warning that they had to stick together if they wanted to survive. But, the reasoning for her earlier fight against the Law of Cycles, to keep hold of Sayaka, was now largely irrelevant: the bluenette hadn't done so much as look in her direction since being reunited, so she'd clearly already lost that battle.

And really, who knew; maybe by doing this there was a way to get back on speaking terms with her former companion.

More than even that, though? "One choice has me cowering in fear. The other has me killing asshole gods" Kyoko said firmly, "Fight".

Eyes went towards Sayaka. Uncharacteristically quiet and pensive, the former herald nodded reluctantly as she voted with the others, keeping her gaze down at the table, "...Fight".

Madoka looked on at her friends, the shattered remnants of her second family as tears formed at the edges of her eyes. They wanted this. They were willing to fight despite the odds of success being nearly zero, and not just because she was stringing them along.

...They all looked so different now. It had been less than three months since coming here, but Tamriel had changed each of them. Gone was the baby fat and slight pudginess of being well-fed in a modern society, replaced by lean muscle from hundreds of kilometers of travel. Their skin tones were tanned from Skyrim, and Morrowind had made sure every inch of their bodies were drenched in a layer of ash and grime. Of the four only Kyoko had retained her signature hairstyle, mostly due to the fact that ponytails were so easy to maintain—though her hair was somehow more knotted than usual. Mami's fancy drills were long gone, replaced by a messy but functional bun. Sayaka's short cut was still there, but far messier and haphazard thanks to having to use a dagger instead of a hair salon. And of course Madoka herself; the pigtails had been gone since arriving at the College. Their robes and armor were torn, scratched, dented, and covered in dirt and ash. Sayaka in particular looked rough; she still had heavy bags under her eyes that would probably remain for a few days at least. And of course, they all looked like they'd lived through a few experiences they wished they hadn't.

But despite everything, they were all still here, still standing.

"...Fight" Madoka said, completing the vote. Her voice hitched a bit. But still, she cleared her throat and stood up, summoning her courage, "I'm sorry. I know I dragged you all into this. You don't deserve to be-"

"Madoka" Mami said, cutting her off as she also stood up, "You're the reason we're here". Madoka's initial reinforcement of shame abated when she noticed Mami had a faint smile on her face, "I don't mean being here, on Tamriel. You're the reason we're _here_. At all. And we're all in this together".

Madoka blinked, taking a second or two to really get what Mami was trying to say.

"Yeah, without you we'd be witch mulch" Kyoko admitted.

The tears began to roll out, and Madoka allowed herself to be engulfed in a hug from Mami.

"Group hug" Mami said softly as the two girls embraced, putting aside her latent anger at the girl for the moment. When Sayaka and Kyoko hesitated, Mami's eye glared at them and spoke with a tone that allowed for absolutely no arguing, "I said, group. _Hug"._

The two feuding girls shared an uncomfortable glance for the first time since they'd reunited before reluctantly acquiescing to Mami's demand—though Sayaka made sure to be on the opposite side of the human ball of emotions from Kyoko...a fact that did not go ignored by the redhead.

The group stayed like that for a bit, before one by one they broke off.

"...It's a bit late to pack and leave now" Madoka mused; it was past noon at this point.

"We still have some work to do anyway" Mami said, "This might not be the Imperial City, but I did see a bookstore down the street while I was out yesterday. We have the money; we should see if they have anything on gods and divinity. It would at least be a _start, _and give us something to work on for the trip_"._

Madoka nodded, "That sounds like a good idea".

It was soon decided that Madoka and Mami would be the ones to go to the bookstore. Kyoko had initially complained, but ultimately relented because ew, _books_. Sayaka had said little, though felt a little put out that Madoka just wanted her to rest.

...Also put out that they were leaving her with _Kyoko _of all people, who was now guarding her soul gem which now rested on the table.

Ugh.

Mami tried to put her mind at ease in a way when she handed Sayaka a very familiar book: the college text on Daedra she'd used way back, "Don't worry, you won't be doing nothing" she said with seeming innocence laced with underlying threatening malice, "You're going to memorize your Daedra like you should have done _weeks ago_" she pushed the book into a sheepish-looking Sayaka as she stared into her non-existent soul, "There _will_ be a test".

"...Yes ma'am" Sayaka sputtered out before Mami backed off. She couldn't exactly blame Mami either—after her close call, Sayaka was _definitely _going to take this more seriously.

"We'll be back soon!" Mami called to the duo as she and Madoka prepared to leave, "Please, _don't_ kill each other while we're gone".

Then the two were gone, and Sayaka and Kyoko were left to their own devices. With nothing to distract her and wishing _desperately _to be away from Kyoko, Sayaka laid down on her bed, cracked open the text book...and against the instincts of every fiber of her being, began to study of her own accord.

A few minutes of awkward silence marched by, and finally an increasingly fidgeting, nervous Kyoko couldn't take it anymore.

"So...how about that weather, huh?"

Silence.

"...Read any good books lately?"

Silence.

"...Hey Sayaka, how many Incubators does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

Silence.

"...Just gonna ignore me, huh?" Kyoko mused bitterly.

Sayaka turned a page, even though she wasn't really paying attention to what she was reading because of _somebody_, "Yep".

"We've been apart for well over a week, you almost got taken by the Prince of Nightmares, I'm getting my memories back, and...we're not even going to talk".

"Nope".

"Seriously?"

With a frustrated growl Sayaka sat up on the bed and glared at Kyoko, currently sitting at the table, "Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't been in the best mood as of late, and I'm not really in a good place to deal with _backstabbing traitors_ today! So can I please go back to my work so Mami doesn't, y'know, yell at me when she comes back?"

"Sheesh, fine. I just wanted to talk" Kyoko mumbled grumpily, "God forbid I care about other people".

Sayaka tried to let it go, she really did. She didn't want to be the problem kid starting all the drama for_ once _in her life but this…no. This couldn't be ignored. She shut her book and closed her eyes, her voice a low, dangerous growl, "Don't you dare. You don't get to say you care about me anymore, because we both know that's a lie. You don't care about me or what I think, you only _want_ me so you can feel better about yourself". It hurt; it hurt _so_ bad. After she'd died and gotten to see what Kyoko had done for her in the witch timelines, she'd felt a kinship. After all of that, after everything…

She'd thought she'd found someone. Under that rough and tumble exterior she thought she'd found someone like her, who understood her, who _got _her and _cared_ for her and _loved _her? It was all a lie. Par for the course, Sayaka supposed. Who was she fooling otherwise? Who in their right mind would ever love her.

Sayaka's words felt like a dagger in Kyoko's heart. "What?" Anger replaced shock, "Of course I care about you. You're just really good at being an idiot. I kept you from dying again! How the hell is that selfish!"

Sayaka elected not to reply, instead returning to her book. Oh, _hell_ no, Kyoko wasn't having any of that shoot-and-run bullshit. She got up and quickly closed the distance between the two of them and ripped the book out of Sayaka's hands, "What, you _wanted_ to be dead or something? Seriously? What is your damage?"

With a look of anger Sayaka stole the book back, "Why not?" she grumbled, looking away uncaring, "It suits me better. Less to worry about".

For a brief moment Kyoko felt for the girl. She knew that feeling.

_For once, just give me a happy dream._

But no, Kyoko was _pissed._ She was pissed at the accusations, at the stonewalling, at the hypocritical self-righteous bullshit.

"...And you call _me _selfish. Oh boo-hoo, a middle-class girl with friends and a family to go home to. Yeah, your life was _so _fucking hard, Ms. I-owned-four-hundred-mirrors".

Sayaka was _not _in the mood for this. She just wanted to study and keep her head down and not get in the way but of course Kyoko-Fucking-Sakura, the self-proclaimed Most Important Person, wouldn't even let her do that. She gave her ex an impassive look, "My only two friends hooked up with each other and left me behind while I wasn't looking. My other friend became god and I had no memories of her. I lived in an apartment that was almost always empty, and when it wasn't and my folks were actually home I was usually wishing it _was_. No goals or future, you're kidding yourself if you thought I was actually going to get into a good high school and succeed with _my _grades. Yeah, such a fulfilling and meaningful life". God forbid she'd found something better to do with her existence.

"...You had _me_!" Kyoko said, exasperated and saddened.

"...So my worth is valued only by being _your _hanger-on" Sayaka's tone was dry and dripping with contempt for both of them. She returned to her book, "Thanks, good to know".

Kyoko roared in frustration and she began to pace around the small room, "Oh my _god_, what do you want from me!?"

Sayaka looked up again, not at Kyoko but simply up in baffled, exasperated rage, "Fun fact: it's not all about you!" she stared back at Kyoko, "But as long as you're asking? I wanted you not to sell me out to the friggin Devil the very first chance you got! I wanted someone to believe me when I told them she was dangerous, that she was going to destroy everything—that if she caught me again..." Sayaka's fists bunched up subconsciously as her tone dulled and she looked away, "...I didn't know if I was even going to come back as Sayaka" she swallowed before resuming her rant at full force, "I got _hurt_ because of you!" Tears again. Damn it, she was crying again. Sayaka wiped them away. She was so tired of breaking down.

Kyoko stepped back slightly, her rage abating at Sayaka's sudden turn. She shook her head, "...She...we didn't know. She just wanted you out of the way so she could fix things. She didn't even know what was happening when I asked her the other day".

A bitter laugh, "Oh, wow. That makes everything alllll better then. And everything else you let her do? Was that an 'accident' too?" Sayaka stood up from the bed, facing Kyoko directly and staring the shorter girl down with a death glare, "How much blood is on your hands now, Kyoko?"

Kyoko broke their little game of chicken when she flinched at the accusation, "Look, I'm _sorry, _okay? Damn it, I am. I didn't think any of this was gonna happen. I just..." she shook her head, bewildered as she stepped away and clutched her face, "...I just wanted you home, with me. I just wanted to go to school with you and date and grow up together" she looked back at Sayaka, and the girl's forlorn expression caused Sayaka to doubt herself a bit, "Is that really so god damn terrible?"

Sayaka exhaled, sitting back down on the bed and stared down at her feet. Her anger dissipated, "...You should have learned to let me go. Move on with your life, grow up, all that jazz. What we had was amazing and I didn't for a second regret it…but it ended. Everything ends, and we have to learn to move on".

There was a pregnant silence.

"...Oh, _fuck you_, you pretentious little shit!" Sayaka looked up in surprise just before an angry Kyoko latched her hand onto the foot of the bed, leering down on Sayaka with utter contempt at the load of bullshit the girl had just thrown at her, "You think you're that fucking special? You're hardly the first person to punk out on me and die; this is an old song and dance. Fun fact? I _did _move on. I checked in on your funeral, I cried, I buried myself in sixteen gallons of ice cream, and then do you know what I did?" Sayaka numbly shook her head as Kyoko's expression relaxed slightly, "...I went back on patrol. I moved on with my life. And then out of fucking nowhere you did the impossible".

Kyoko stepped back as her expression turned mournful, "You came _back_. You came back into my life, took over and gave me, no joke, the best two months of my entire _life_. You all but _confessed_ to me!" anger and sorrow began to mix back into her demeanor, "And then you were gonna leave forever, just like that. Do you have any idea how absolutely messed up that is!?" Rage, "How dare you tell me to get over you when _you're _the one who decided to pick at the scab!"

It felt like a slap to the face for Sayaka. She...hadn't considered that. But then...why? She rebounded quickly, "...Did you ever ask me?"

"What?" Again Kyoko's rage abated, caught off-guard by the unexpected question.

Sayaka's tone became firmer as she once again took the initiative in the argument, "Did you ever once try to talk to me about it, or did you just lie to my face when I asked for your help, and then just beeline it for Satan?"

Silence. You could have heard a pin drop, "...Would you have reconsidered?"

Would she have? She wasn't sure. Part of her said no. Another part of her told her to shut up and stop giving the enemy ammo. Sayaka shrugged, once again grabbing her book. She was tired of this argument and wanted to be left alone, "Dunno. Guess we'll never know". She turned over on her side, facing away from Kyoko.

"Oh, what kind of weak-ass response is that?!"

"Probably the one you deserve. Now if you don't mind, I'm trying to study".

And there it was, the thing Kyoko had been dreading the most: the bitter feel of rejection."So what you're saying is that I just wasn't enough, right? I was never enough" she shook her head and sat down on the other bed. Her next words were barely above a whisper, "Fuck you".

Sayaka turned over slightly one more time, her voice so very tired and _done,_ "...I had a _job_ to do, Kyoko. It was important. Maybe if you hadn't ruined everything you'd have gotten to join me someday and we could have had Magical Space Adventures or whatever". Okay, Sayaka wasn't entirely _sure _about that since she arguably spent most of her 'time' slumbering as part of a larger entity, but she was called out for missions enough, and she knew she could probably convince Madoka to bend a rule or two for her (yay nepotism), but really she just wanted a trump card right now and damn the consequences, "But that's not going to happen now, is it?" she turned back to her book, "Well...you got what you wanted. I hope it was worth it". The bitterness was palpable.

Realizing the fight was over Kyoko curled up on her bed, facing away from Sayaka. Her words had hit a bit too close to home for Kyoko; they'd uncomfortably reminded her of something her father had said just before the end.

She steadfastly refused to entertain any unfortunate parallels in the two situations. It wasn't the same.

Silence reigned for a moment before Sayaka broke it for a final time, guilt rising up, her voice soft and broken.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make a big fuss or anything this time. I'll work with you in fights. The mission comes first". Sayaka wasn't going to be the problem this time. She refused to be, "I'm staying out of everyone's way. But whatever you and I had before? It's over".

Both girls brushed tears out of their eyes, intent on not allowing the other to see or overhear any crying. No weakness. They stayed like that, on opposite beds apart from each other until Madoka and Mami returned carrying a small stack of books.

* * *

This was not what she'd signed up for.

Nagisa yawned as her feet dangled over the cliffside overlooking the sleeping town. Homura snored softly in her sleep behind her; in a few hours she'd wake up and switch shifts with Nagisa, allowing her to get some sleep. The problem was that as a growing girl Nagisa needed more than a couple hours. She hadn't had to worry about it when she'd been with the others, but Homura _needed _eyes on the target at all times.

It was solate. She'd never stayed up this late back on Earth.

Her mind kept going back to Homura's confrontations with Molag Bal and Sheogorath the night before. This was _not _what she'd signed up for. Her desire was simple: find a way to get back home and notget sucked up by the Law of Cycles in the process, and this stuff about other gods was leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

...And Homura was making nice with the god of domination?! Nagisa knew nothing about the politics of Oblivion but even she knew this was an incredibly dangerous game they were playing. Sheo and Bal both could do terrible, horrible things to them if they wanted—and she didn't even know what either god even really intended! At least with the Incubators there was only one party and you could just walk away.

Not that she _had_, mind you or else she'd be in a very different situation, but she digressed.

"Thinking hard, or hardly thinking?"

Nagisa jumped at Sheogorath's sudden appearance. He grinned, "Aw, what's wrong? I don't bite..._much_".

Nagisa's eyes darted back to the sleeping Homura before narrowing on Sheogorath. Well now, this was her chance to get some answers without Homura leading or shutting down the conversation...even though she knew he had to tread lightly. She was _fairly _certain Sheo wouldn't do anything to her at the moment or else he'd lose Homura completely, but then again he _was _the concept of madness and thus chaos. She repressed her fear and put on her best face, "...What do you want?"

"A dangerous question! Even more dangerous to ask a madman that, much less a mad_god"._

Nagisa blinked before shifting her sitting arrangement in cautious curiosity. The wheels in her head turned, "...You came to me in the middle of the night, when Homura wasn't present. You don't want her to make an alliance with Molag Bal, but you know that if you push her she'll do it...so instead you come to me".

Sheogorath knelt down beside her, a satisfied look on his face, "Ahhh...inquisitive _and_ smart. And no undercurrent of ambient hostility! I almost wish you two could switch places. Your friend doesn't trust me anymore, and after everything I've done for her too!"

"You deceived her".

Sheogorath shrugged, "She's deceived plenty of people. So have you".

"I don't trust you either".

He grinned, "But you trust Molag Bal less".

Nagisa summarized one of the stories from the book Homura had given her, "...King Lyandir once attempted to make his kingdom run on hyper-rationalist principles. He banned art and festivals in an attempt to bolster practicality. In return, you cursed every child born in the city from that day on with madness. Eventually his own son stabbed him to death and then burned the palace down".

"In my defense, the people sought my help" Sheogorath said, smiling at the memory, "Ah, good times".

"Every story I read or hear about you involves you driving people to insanity. It's a cornucopia of Greek tragedies all because you wanted a laugh. People plucking their eyes out, or setting their families on fire, or making them paranoid to the point of suicide, or getting addicted to poison, or...worse".

"Aw stop, you're making me blush!"

"You dropped an asteroid on the island of Vvardenfell".

"Vivec was being a prick".

Nagisa's mouth thinned, "...So why are you here? You were alone with Homura for months, and even while I've been here you've done little beyond a few jokes and warning her about Bal. So why isn't she crazy?"

Sheogorath let loose a hearty laugh, "Crazy? Homura's already an emotionally unstable, self-flagellating paranoid nut with control issues! What could I do to her that she hasn't done to herself already? After all, _I'm _not the one trying to pit two Daedric Princes against one another!"

"I'm...confused then" Nagisa frowned as she looked away in thought, "...Because it sounds like...you _want _her to make an alliance with Molag Bal?"

"Hah!" Sheogorath was no longer next to her. He was now suddenly pacing behind Nagisa, throwing her off slightly, "If I wanted that, I would be grinning in anticipation right now!" his smile dropped as he stopped and glared at the young girl, "I am _not_ grinning".

"Then I'm at a loss. I don't understand what you want".

Sheogorath laughed, "Trying to understand madness, now that's a riot" he calmed himself, staring out at the town with uncharacteristic wistfulness, "...Have you ever read the story of the Champion of Cyrodiil?"

"I'm afraid not".

"...Martin Septim was a good man, the bastard son of Uriel Septim VII, and last heir to the Ruby Throne at the very end of the Third Era. He would have made for a brilliant emperor had fate allowed him that chance. The Champion of Cyrodiil was his right hand, a lowly, unremarkable wretch who was rotting in the Imperial Dungeon when they witnessed Uriel Septim's assassination. Fate brought the two together to try and save Tamriel from Mehrunes Dagon, Daedric Prince of change and destruction. They call it the 'Oblivion Crisis' these days".

Nagisa found herself very curious as to where this was going; Sheo wasn't acting like himself, "What was their name? The Champion, I mean".

A dry chuckle, bordering on bitterness, "You know, it's funny. I don't remember. I don't remember their name. Or their gender, or their race...or where they came from. Anyway, they served Martin dutifully, doing all they could to save Tamriel and raise him to the purple" Sheo frowned, "...It didn't work out the way they had intended. They failed to prevent Dagon's invasion, and in the end Martin sacrificed himself" another strangely bitter laugh, "Broke the Amulet of Kings right then and there, summoned down Akatosh himself, and ascended to become part of the dragon god. And then...and then Martin Septim ceased to exist in his entirety, leaving his Champion behind without purpose or direction".

"What happened to the Champion?" Nagisa asked.

A sinister smile formed on Sheogorath's lips as he finally turned away from the town and locked eyes with the girl, "...They went mad". His 'normal' attitude returned and he began to pace again, "What am I aiming for? Survival. I want to survive. Your arrival here has upset the careful balance of the Aurbis, and the Princes are now scrambling around for pieces on the board. And Homura? She's the most important piece of all".

"Wait...really?" Nagisa was surprised, "Not Madoka?"

Sheogorath laughed, "Madoka Kaname is the key to everything; the fate of the Aurbis rests on her shoulders...but Homura Akemi is the key to _her._ Make no mistake: war is coming, a war so terrible that mortals will have no ability to even comprehend it, and when it settles I'd very much prefer to not be living in Molag Bal's version of reality. He's not much one for freedom of expression, if you catch my drift".

So, they really were just pawns. Maybe Homura was right to keep the two gods opposed to each other? What if Sheo won this 'war', would he just create a world of everlasting insanity? But something didn't add up for Nagisa, "So why not match Molag Bal's offer? Help Homura with our goals. If this is as important as you say, then Madoka is in just as much danger as we are, and it would do a lot to get Homura to like you".

Sheogorath turned from her, watching Homura's sleeping form, "Madoka is already under the protection of a...well, I won't call him a _friend_, but an ally at least. As for why, it's because what Homura _wants _isn't what she _needs_".

"...I'm sorry?" Nagisa asked in confusion.

"Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That's hogwash, you can't define madness to one simple act, but like a broken clock it works here. Homura is like a dog trying to catch a horse carriage—but she has no idea what she would do if she actually caught it. She's trapped in a Graymarch of her own creation, and if she's going to break free of that and be useful to anyone, than she's got to learn some harsh lessons".

Nagisa blinked, looking at the madgod in disbelief, "I...I'm sorry. It sounds like...are you...trying to make Homura _sane_?"

Sheogorath laugh heartily as he turned back to her, "Goodness, no. I am simply trying to to redirect her to more positive efforts. All this self-destructive nonsense would be entertaining if we didn't have a sword hanging over our heads, but right now I don't need her crazy like a lemming, I need her crazy like a _fox_. I need her thinking outside her box. I need her working alongside the rest of your insane little band of misfits" he knelt down in front of her again, "You mortals so easily forget; I'm not just madness. Oh, the cheese is fun and the dead, cheese-filled bodies raining from the sky even moreso, but I'm also creativity! Every time you write a story, or paint a picture, or sing a song, I'm there egging you on!"

He sat down fully, cross-legged, "...I thought I was starting to make progress, but your friend is such a stubborn mule".

Huh. Nagisa was going to have a lot to think about later regarding this conversation. Obviously she didn't trust someone as chaotic or unpredictable as the madgod, but...considering the circumstances, she was more inclined to believe him over Molag Bal, "...I suspect Molag Bal's backstory to Homura was false?"

"Eh, no. More or less it was true...depending on which events of the Dawn you ascribe to, anyway; anything before Convention is sort of mutiple-choice. But I will tell you he doesn't actually care about the Aedra, or about Lorkhan. I should know, I'm half-Lorkhan on my mother's side! Hah!"

Huh. Well, time for the real question Nagisa supposed, "...So then, what do you require from me?" She had a sneaking suspicion.

"I've miscalculated, and now any attempt I make at Homura will only steer her deeper into Bal's clutches".

"...So you want me to keep her out".

He grinned, "You really _are _the smart one of the bunch, aren't you?"

Nagisa shook her head, "I don't know what you expect out of me. I'm not exactly good at convincing people of stuff".

"Ah, but she likes you". Sheo's words caused Nagisa to tilt her head in disbelief, "She let you come with her with minimal fuss or effort. You might be the single person who can pull this off".

Nagisa looked down at her legs, not entirely confident.

Sheogorath stood back up, stretching before his cane just appeared in his hand and he leaned forward with it, "Just remember, if you don't do anything, then you'll all probably maybe almost _certainly _end up as Molag Bal's eternal slaves. Just food for thought. No pressure". Homura began to stir, drawing Nagisa's attention. When she looked back at the madgod however, he was gone—leaving Nagisa with a groggy Homura who insisted it was her turn to keep watch.

* * *

"What the hell is _that_?" Kyoko exclaimed as the group walked up to what she could only describe as a two-story flea on stilts. The thing seemed to be cleaning its front arms with its mandibles like a praying mantis.

"A 'silt strider'" Mami said, "It's our best chance to get to Ebonheart in a reasonable timeframe".

It was still really early out; the ever-present ash clouds had only just started to brighten, and the large moaning bug...thing looked increasingly sinister in the dim light—par for the course for Morrowind, Kyoko supposed.

"Such gentle creatures. Can you believe they almost went extinct?" the owner of the creature, a young Dunmer said as Mami handed him their fare. He led them up the ramp to the top of the strider, "They used to only live on Vvardenfell, and their habitat was wiped out when Red Mountain went up. We've spent the last half-century slowly rebuilding their population". The sitting area itself was carved right out of the thick rear hump exoskeleton of the creature, and covered with rugs and pillows, with an awning leaning over them from the back.

"It's...safe, right?" Kyoko muttered as she hesitated. The others got on without problem (Sayaka hesitated for a moment, but said nothing), and Mami made a clearing noise in her throat to 'encourage' Kyoko to follow suit.

"Ol' Forvre is as gentle and kindly as they come" the driver said, taking his spot up front, "As long as you don't fall overboard, silt strider transport is the single safest method of travel in Morrowind".

"...Not filling me with confidence with that statement" Kyoko said flatly.

Mami folded her arms, already having found a nice spot next to Sayaka, "Get on the strider, Kyoko".

"Ugh, fine. Why's it always gotta be bugs with you people..."

"...Drawing?" Sayaka asked, looking over at the pad of paper Madoka had in her hands. On it was a half-finished sketch of the town.

"Oh, uh...yeah" Madoka said, blushing just slightly, "I picked it up again after we er...split up. No cameras, so I wanted to do something to remember each place we've been. It also helps to distract me".

"It looks good".

Madoka flashed a smile, "Thank you!"

As soon as the four girls were settled the strider gave a long moan and then began to lumber forward with its long spindly legs, leaving Silgrad behind as they headed deeper into Morrowind, towards the city of Ebonheart.

Unbeknownst to them, a single guar with two riders followed in pursuit. Nagisa was the driver; after a disastrous first attempt at driving herself, Homura had been forced to acquiesce to Nagisa, who actually had a small amount of experience with riding mounts thanks to her time with the Companions. Now Homura sat behind her, certainly not sporting a bit of a bruise to her ego.

Okay, maybe a little.

The guar shot off, leaving the town behind as they followed in pursuit of the silt strider, making sure not to get too close so anyone would notice them.

* * *

The witch familiar struggled for a bit before falling limp and dying, impaled by the halberd the strawberry-blonde-haired girl had thrown at it.

"No, no. Can't have you stealing too many souls" the girl said, walking up to where the familiar's body had been before evaporating. She pulled the halberd out of the wall of the back alley with a casual tug before setting its bottom onto the ground. It wouldn't do to let all of Ebonheart get eaten before Madoka had even arrived (Besides, the Thalmor would have frowned on their experiment getting so out of hand), so she'd spent the last few days performing crowd control. She hadn't wanted the witch to be _too _strong after all; it wouldn't do to accidentally kill Madoka or Homura just yet. Her friends maybe, but really she didn't want the witch to get that particular honor either. She wanted to force Madoka to watch her hurt and kill them herself one by one before handing the false goddess and her pet demon off to her new employers. She wanted to watch as Madoka broke piece by piece. She wanted Madoka to experience that dawning sense of futility, that knowledge that awful things were about to happen to your loved ones and that there was nothing you could do to prevent it.

Where the hell was that damned girl anyway!? She would have expected her to be here by now. Ugh, useless Law of Cycles, always good for nothing but empty promises.

Well, whatever. She'd come eventually, she had no choice. And when she did...

"...You took everything from me" she muttered bitterly as she looked down at the ring on her finger, "So now I'll take everything from _you_".


	23. 2x05: Where angels fear to tread

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD**

* * *

Kyoko Sakura was many things, if she did say so herself. She was fearless, badass, amazing, incredible, stunning...But even she had her limits as to what she could accomplish, and it seemed she had at last reached them.

With an exhausted, frustrated, defeated cry she rubbed her face and leaned back against the back of the silt strider seating pit.

Mami blandly looked up from her book at Kyoko's juvenile display, "Problems?"

"Yeah!" Kyoko exclaimed, sitting back up and waving the book she'd been ordered to read around, "This whole book is insane!"

"It's Vivec's lessons" Madoka said, looking up from her own book, "He at least _sort _of became a god" a beat, "I think. Anyway, we figured it was a good place to start".

Kyoko grunted, "Yeah, well your 'Vivec' is completely nuts. The whole thing reads like someone's drugged up fever dream. What's ALMSIVI? Why did he marry the King of Rape? All this shit about moths and 'starry hearts' and being born twice and 'Amaranth' and..." she glanced at the book again, "...What the fresh hell is _CHIM_?!"

Madoka frowned, looking down at her own book, 'Spirit of Nirn, God of Mortals' which had so far proved equally indecipherable, "...Maybe we bit off a bit more than we could chew with independent study" she rubbed her eyes, "It might be time for a break".

"No one said apotheosis would be easy" Mami sighed, clearly tired of her own attempts even if she didn't want to show it as they had made zero progress. She reluctantly closed 'The Monomyth'.

"I'm bored" Kyoko muttered.

Mami perked up some, "Who wants to play 'I Spy'?"

The other girls' reactions were...less than enthusiastic. Madoka frowned weakly, "To be honest I'm kind of tired of 'I Spy'. And twenty questions. And rock-spotting. And charades. After all, we were at it for six hours earlier. And the day before. And the day before that..."

Kyoko looked at Mami flatly, "Look, you can play 'I Spy' if your target isn't gray, a mushroom, or a rock".

Mami glanced out at the bleak and barren landscape: giant mushrooms, blasted down evergreens, jagged rocks, all coated in a thick layer of ash. At least the shell of the strider was keeping the worst of the winter winds off of them. She frowned and sat back in defeat.

"We have _got _to buy a deck of cards" Kyoko slumped against the side of the strider, lounging about wildly even in the limited space provided.

"I tried" said Mami, "Decks here don't work the way they do at home. None of our games would translate".

Another desperate wail escaped Kyoko's mouth as she clutched at her eyes melodramatically, "I am going to _die_ of boredom!" her arms fell to her sides, "I miss TV. How many more days of this?"

"Two, I think" Madoka said glumly. The cabin fever was starting to get to heras well. Kyoko released another pitiful noise.

"Probably three" the driver said from up front, "Weather's gonna turn, I can feel it. You don't wanna be out and about when an ash blizzard hits". Another pitiful noise, this time from the whole group.

"...Mind if I take a break too?" the fourth member of the group finally spoke up. Sayaka was wedged in the far corner with the Daedra book. She'd been uncharacteristically quiet for most of the ride so far—and Madoka suspected it wasn't _just_ because of the 'homework' Mami had given her. She'd seemed somewhat...defeated? Resigned perhaps, though she always tried her best not to seem that way when someone was looking in her direction. Even at those times though she seemed like a shadow of herself. Not in the way she had been before turning into a witch; not volatile, just...quiet.

Mami put on a small smile and a voice that was 'cheerful' but not, "Are you saying you're ready for your test?"

Sayaka looked like a deer in headlights for a moment, looking for any sign Mami was joking—she was not. She visibly swallowed hard and returned to her book. Mami lingered on her for a moment before rejoining the others.

"God damn it" Kyoko muttered, laying on her back now and staring up at the gray and unforgiving sky. Then a thought came to her. The slightest hint of a shit-eating grin formed on her lips, "...Or should I say _Madoka _damn it?"

Madoka shifted somewhat awkwardly, "...Uh, heh. Please don't use my name in vain".

Feeling playful now that she had someone to mess with, Kyoko spun around and laid on her stomach, looking up at Madoka, "Huh, so gods really don't like that after all" a pause, "Why don't you have a religion?"

Madoka wasn't sure she liked where this was suddenly going. Now she was the one with the deer-in-headlights look, "...Uh..."

"A real one, I mean, not just that urban legend we'd toss around when someone died. We could have had holidays, priests, all the good shit".

Madoka really wasn't comfortable with this. A religion? People worshiping her? Oh, oh no, "...Uh...heh, I don't-"

"What would a Madokaite holiday even look like?" Mami rubbed her chin in thought.

Madoka's face dropped, "Mami, not you too..."

Kyoko was already brainstorming, listing off each idea as she counted on her fingers, "I mean obviously there's a holiday where we bust open a Kyubey piñata. There's some sorta feast day, of course. And a present-giving day..."

"...A day like New Years where we offer wishes to come true..." Mami thought quietly.

"Eh...that's kinda morbid, considering" Sayaka said quietly, looking up from her book. Madoka's initial elation that, _yes,_ she had someone in her corner instantly twisted into betrayal when Sayaka's face lit up with her own idea, "Some kinda summer festival could be fun though. With fireworks".

"Tie incubators to the rockets before they go up?" Kyoko joked. Sayaka didn't even acknowledge that she'd spoken.

Red-faced and embarrassed, Madoka could only mumble something unintelligibly as she put her head against her knees. She could have gone to college and become a businesswoman like her mom. Or a doctor or something. But no, she decided to become _god, _and now she was never going to live it down. Uuuuugh.

"...I think we broke her" Kyoko said.

Sayaka ignored Kyoko. She chuckled softly, partially in guilt. Normally she wouldn't be against poking at Madoka's buttons a bit, but right now she...well, her heart just wasn't in it. She didn't want to accidentally mess things up again, and she didn't want to be in such proximity to Kyoko's antics anyway, "Sorry, Madoka. We were just messing with you". Kyoko looked away in silent glumness at Sayaka's refusal to play along, her own impish streak being strangled in mid-stride.

"...I wasn't" Mami said, genuinely a little disappointed they weren't actually going to start planning holidays. Silence reigned for a moment before Mami looked at Sayaka, "Are you ready for your test yet?"

Almost cartoonishly, Sayaka fled back into her corner, book in hand as she grumbled something under her breath about not being able to skip school even in death. The group fell into comfortable silence after that. Kyoko decided to take a nap while Mami was content to watch the lifeless ash dunes pass by. After a few moments of idle doodling in her notebook, Madoka picked up Kyoko's book on Vivec's sermons and began to try and make sense of _any _of it.

She couldn't, it was indecipherable. Frankly, it made her feel dumb. _Really _dumb. She sighed as she instead decided to do something productive. She reoriented herself to face Sayaka. When her friend looked up Madoka gave her a gentle smile and flashed her her notebook with a bunch of Daedric scribbles on it, "...Want some help?"

Sayaka broke out into relief and the two settled in close to each other. And that was when a thought came to Madoka.

She decided what she really needed was a teacher of some kind. But where would she even find one? Absently she rubbed the 'lucky coin' Wulf had given Kyoko to give to her, which had almost certainly helped in the fight against Vaermina, but had since lay dormant.

Maybe.

Maybe...

* * *

As the driver had predicted, the weather had turned in the late afternoon. A storm of ash and snow mixed together began to blast through the ashen wastes, forcing the group to call it a day. Thankfully, the driver also knew of a series of caves in an area known as the 'needle garden'. The silt strider made its way through the maze of tall and narrow rock formations to a cliff side along a range of foothills generating from the nearby Velothi mountains, eventually coming upon one of the caves in question just as the storm began to take a turn for the worst. Clad in scarves and protective eyewear, the girls and driver made camp for the evening.

Not too far away, the same was happening for Homura and Nagisa. They stayed out a bit longer; Homura wanted a cave not too close, but not far enough away she couldn't keep tabs on Madoka's group. Eventually she settled on one out of sight, but would still allow her to keep an eye on the silt strider as it settled down next to a large bolder just outside of Madoka's cave. The storm meant Homura couldn't see much more than the creature's outline, but it was enough to put her at ease.

Nagisa led their guar into the small cave and began to unpack their things for the evening: she was hungry and she wanted to get something cooking on the fire before too long. But something else was gnawing at her as well: Sheogorath's words a few days before. She had yet to approach Homura about it, and frankly she was at a loss as to what to say without tipping Homura off.

Ugh. What did the Madgod expect her to do? She wasn't even _remotely _a charismatic person, and Homura was about as stubborn as any person could possibly be...moreso, even. She hadn't realized that before, but now that she was actually spending time around her, Nagisa was starting to realize just how abrasive and uncompromising the other girl was. Yet it was also kind of inspiring? Just watching someone _this _driven about something.

Yet if she didn't do anything, she risked Homura going off with Molag Bal. She could see the desperation growing in Homura's eyes every day; a cloud had settled ever since Madoka's near-ascension a few days before. The hopelessness, the lack of moves she could make yet the lingering knowledge that the longer she waited the more likely Madoka would escape her grasp forever. Right now they were trailing Madoka and for...what?

As Homura looked out at the storm, the former demon honestly couldn't tell anymore. She had no plan, no options. No hope.

It was arguably even _worse _than the space of time when Madoka had ascended and left her behind. At least then she'd known it was too late and there was nothing she could do, and she'd managed to fool herself into believing she was fine with it. But here...to have her goal right in _front _of her and yet not being able to act in the slightest even as it slipped through her grasp…

But she couldn't take up Bal's offer...could she? She'd been running possible simulations through her head for days now. Bal needed her to ascend first, right? He needed her as a sort of trojan horse _inside _the Mundus. Therefore she had all the cards. She would have Madoka and the Mundus and Bal was relying on his trust of _her._ Right? What if there was a trap she wasn't seeing? The Incubators always couched their lies inside metaphors and evasive language that steered the conversation away from what they didn't want to talk about. She couldn't detect anything like that here; Bal had been blunt and honest in what he wanted.

And that just made her _more_ worried, even as she empathized with his story.

Augh!

At least her play had kept Sheogorath off her back. She'd hoped anyway; the Madgod was apparently very good at letting people drive themselves into insanity by merely having them expect him to make a move and then him just sitting back and doing nothing. She wasn't going to fall for that.

...What if she was already crazy and didn't realize it.

No, no. She didn't feel crazy. She was sane. She was a horrible, reprehensible monster responsible for so much suffering, a demon in human form, a necessary evil, but she _was _sane. She was someone who understood how worthless the world was after all, how the 'innocent' only got by on the sacrifices of those they didn't even know, and that hadn't changed.

Maybe she _should _let Bal have this world. He'd at least bring order. Nirn was a lot like Earth; wars, plague, famine. People stepping on each other in the name of righteousness.

But what if what others said were right about him? She'd been reading up on him since their meeting; she still had a couple books from Skyrim, and she'd used her time in Silgrad to raid the local bookstore for more info. Most of the books she had had little good to say about him—the Imperials, the Bretons, the Altmer, all were very negative, but then again those sources disliked _all _Daedra on principle, seeing the world with a very black and white outlook. Notably not all her sources were negative though, he _did _have his supporters, and a lot of the negative stuff was likely sour grapes. Reading between those lines she could almost see a harsh god that rewarded strength and obedience and punished weakness. A god of determination and guile. The Dunmer's take in particular was interesting: he was one of their 'House of Troubles', a god of trials and tribulations; presenting himself as an obstacle to be overcome. They feared him, but they also to some degree _respected _him.

Then there were the Reachmen. She only had a little bit to work with in regards to them as their religion was relegated to a single chapter in a larger work about Skyrim, but to them he was the god of hardship—unwelcoming but necessary to become wiser and more prepared for the world at large. And if she was bring honest with herself, she was more drawn to the Reachmen and the Dunmer than she was to the others who all carried on with that self-righteous pretentiousness of good vs evil. The Dark Elves and Reachmen at least seemingly saw the unforgiving world for what it was and made no pretense otherwise.

Definitely not a _nice_ god, which made her more wary of letting him rule Nirn, but still one with purpose that she could understand.

Unless this was what the Dunmer or Reachmen thought it was: an obstacle to overcome to see if she was worthy.

...Was that what all this was? A test? A trial? Was she passing? Failing?

Why did it feel like a trap? It was too good to be true, wasn't it?

Augh! She was spinning in circles, doubting her own mind. When had doubting herself ever worked out for her? No, as always the only way out was _through_. Hers was the only one whose opinion she could count on.

There were no do-overs, she had to keep telling herself, despite how inwardly she kept falling back on that. Everything that happened now was for keeps, and she no longer had the cold grace the loops had given her. And that...that was alien and different and terrifying and she didn't know how to deal with that and was wracked by indecision and...

There were no do-overs, there were no do-overs, there _were no do-_

"Homura?"

Nagisa's voice tore Homura from her spiral. The younger girl had already unpacked the guar and was beginning to set up a fire.

"My apologies" Homura said briskly, "I was lost in thought".

Nagisa lit the fire, "It's fine. It's my turn to cook anyway". How to do this? How to convince Homura without giving away the game? So many minefields, so many pitfalls. Homura's increasing pensiveness only worried her more. "...What were you thinking about?"

Homura didn't respond immediately, finding it hard to tear herself away from the blizzard outside, "...Many things" she said at last, reluctantly turning and walking towards the fire, "I will take first watch tonight".

"That's fine". Nagisa summoned up her courage. Be smooth, be smooth, "...So...have you come up with a plan?" Damn it.

"Not since the last time you asked, no" Homura's tone was dry as she stood next to the fire and warmed herself. She did not sit however, still too antsy to do so, "I'm still waiting for an opportunity to present itself".

"...We could brainstorm together…?" Nagisa asked helpfully.

Homura eyed her, "Very well. Do you have an idea for me?"

"Uh..." now on the spot Nagisa found herself at a loss. She'd been hoping for some sort of collaboration, a discussion not...well, this. "I don't..."

"Then a brainstorming session would likely be fruitless, would it not?"

"...I'm _trying_ to help, you know" Nagisa grumbled dejectedly, "You're not making it very easy".

Homura sighed, chastising herself, "I apologize, that was uncalled for. I'm...not exactly used to having an ally".

"...It's okay" Nagisa got up and went over to the pack with their food supplies, "What do you want for dinner?"

"It doesn't matter, surprise me".

Nagisa rifled through the collection of odd Morrowind ingredients before making her choices. She wasn't an amazing cook by any means, but after her dad had ran off and her mom put in the hospital, she'd had to learn to fend for herself fairly quickly. She knew enough to get by.

Ugh. She wasn't getting anywhere with Homura; the conversation hadn't ended _badly_, but it had still sent her back to square one. Right now Homura had her back turned to her as she watched the blizzard outside, stuck in her thoughts once again.

"...Homura?"

"Hm?" she turned slightly to Nagisa.

...Screw it, time to go for broke, "...You're not still thinking about taking Molag Bal's offer. Are you?"

Homura sighed and turned away.

That did _not _fill Nagisa with confidence, "...Homura?" She stood up, rubbing her wrist with her other hand with a bit of anxiousness.

"...It might be our only option" Homura said finally, her back to Nagisa.

"Homura". Nagisa shook her head.

Homura shot a look at her companion, "We can't smash the world shards, and even if we did there's no indication that would prevent her from ascending—especially not after what happened the other day. She could literally achieve apotheosis at any moment, and we have no way of knowing. We have no options, no choices". She walked over to the edge of the cave, putting her hand on the rock wall.

Nagisa's heart broke at Homura's increasing desperation as her rant progressed, "We could..." she frowned, her mind racing, "...Maybe talk to her?" It was a dumb sounding idea even as it came out of Nagisa's mouth.

Homura's fingernails scratched into the rock wall, her voice a whisper, "...She doesn't listen. She'll never listen. None of them ever _listen_. She'll smile, tell me everything is alright and then...and then she'll leave, like she always does and ignore anything I say". A shuddering breath, "I can't do this _again_". She couldn't. She just...no, she couldn't.

Nagisa cautiously walked halfway over to Homura, noticing just how fragile the other girl was at the moment, "...But we can't trust Molag Bal. He's the god of schemes, of...of some really, really bad stuff. He'll betray us first chance he gets".

"I'm not sure I believe that" Homura said, "Besides, I'm holding all the cards. He _needs_ us to unbind the Aedra and hand over the Mundus to him. That means he would need to grant me godhood first". She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Nagisa or herself, "His words were direct and to the point. He wants something, we want something. It's an equal trade".

"A contract" Nagisa muttered.

Homura's fists clenched as she faced her partner with distaste at the cheap shot, "An _alliance_ between equal parties. He wants nothing from us personally".

"And if it's not?"

Homura towered over her with a cold, impassive glare, "Then all I've done is damned myself a third time. However many times it takes, I don't care. I would damn myself to every Prince a hundred times over if it meant I could achieve my goal".

Nagisa stepped back, unsure, "...And the people of Nirn?"

That actually caught her off-guard. Homura stumbled in her response by something she hadn't _really _considered. "We..." she swallowed. Was she really willing to gamble with the lives of everyone living here?

They were probably garbage.

She was evil and devoted to a single cause.

But...

If she was wrong and Molag Bal _was _malicious, then...that girl, in that village. The girl's mother. The man who had found her when she'd first landed her.

Why did she care?

No. No, she had the advantage. She could outplay Bal if need be, "...I'll make sure he holds true to his word. If I suspect he won't then I can simply withhold Mundus from him". Actually...that wasn't a half-bad idea. If her time on Nirn had taught her anything, it was that the universe was a much more dangerous place than she'd first imagined. Numerous hostile gods and entities all battling it out...protecting Madoka wasn't just about keeping her mortal anymore, it would have to be about forcing all of her rivals to their knees. She would likely have to subjugate each god in turn.

Besides, Bal wanted the Aedra unbound. She'd give him that; he just wouldn't be given a chance to take their place.

"...You'll betray him!?" Nagisa asked, aghast at the audacity. This didn't seem like a particularly smart plan, "Homura, this...this is really thin".

"Why not? This world is just as broken as ours was. I'll make it better. I'll unbind the Aedra and take over so that Molag Bal doesn't have to sacrifice himself for them and-"

"He doesn't care about the Aedra! He's just using you!" Nagisa blurted out, trying to stem the madness. When she'd first approached Homura it was because she thought she'd felt a bit of a kindred spirit in her; someone who had done 'wrong' and had been cast out because they wanted something simple. Someone who wanted something better than the Law of Cycles. She'd just wanted some place to belong and Homura looked like the best option. But this...this was quickly becoming more than Nagisa had bargained for.

Homura regarded her for a moment, "...What an oddly specific thing to say. And oddly confident. How would you know this?" Suspicion mounted. Nagisa backed away as Homura approached, the younger girl's sudden uneasy and guilty face saying everything Homura needed confirmed, "...You've been speaking with Sheogorath".

Shit, her cover was blown, and so quickly too. Why had Sheogorath thought she was up to this? Had he really been that desperate? "W-what? No, I haven't been-" Nagisa nearly tripped over their bags as she stepped back. Homura grabbed her arm, keeping her upright, but also holding it an angle that wasn't entirely pleasant, nearly dangling the girl in front of her.

"Don't lie to me" Homura said, her tone quickly darkening as paranoia set in, "You're terrible at it".

Nagisa flinched, "He just wants to help!" All her chances were going right down the tube due to her inadequacy. She could almost hear her mother's voice in Homura's words, screaming at her for something she didn't do.

Homuras grip tightened painfully on Nagisa's wrist as she yanked the arm up. It was just like before. It was just like every other _god damned-_ "If he wanted to help he would have done so instead of sending me on a two month long goose chase! He slowed me down at every opportunity, made me question my own sanity, gave me _zero _assistance unless it amused him, strung me along..." her voice was rising quickly into a yell. Those storms that had kept waylaying her? Sheogorath was a god of _storms_. This blizzard was probably his doing too! All the side stops and inane jokes, all the doubts to her identity and purpose he'd thrown at her…

Homura didn't notice Nagisa's pained expression or what she was doing, she just saw _red_. Just more willing lemmings ready to jump off the cliff to spite her, "Molag Bal is the only one offering me a solution!" she let loose a slightly unhinged laugh of exhaustion and disbelief that she was somehow still going through this same song and dance, "It's just like the Incubators! None of you ever _listen_ to me! You go off and make bad choices and ruin everything I'm trying to do to _save _you, and then you blame me when everything blows up in your face!" Her hand gripped even tighter.

Nagisa let loose a pained squeal, "Homura, you're hurting me!"

And just like that, Homura snapped back, realizing in an instant what she was doing. She was shaking, and she let Nagisa go and stepped back, turning away from the younger girl once again in shame and guilt. Silence blanketed the cave as Homura composed herself. When she spoke again, she was far more subdued and flat.

"Go back to the others".

"...What?" Nagisa asked in confusion and hurt.

"...Your services are no longer required, Nagisa Momoe. You aren't like me. No one is like me. You shouldn't follow my path, it will only lead to your own destruction, and you're too good of a person for that".

Nagisa stood there, dumbstruck. Homura was throwing her out. She was going to make a deal with Molag Bal. She was going to get herself hurt.

"...Homura, please-"

She was unwanted, again. Her father was right. Her mother was right.

"I said go. Do not test the devil's patience".

"I...I don't want to".

Homura's brow furrowed, "...Why?"

Nagisa considered her words. She _could _theoretically go back, wait for Homura to do her job. Who knew, maybe she could pull this off. In that case, Nagisa could get the life she'd wanted and...honestly, what happened to Homura wouldn't really be her problem, would it?

But that wouldn't be right. Especially not after the time the two had shared together. As cold as Homura could be, she'd still taken Nagisa in. There had been a quiet understanding between them, or so Nagisa had thought. A kinship forged in mutual abandonment. Of being outcasts. Of being _wrong_ to exist.

"...Because I care about you, and I don't want to see you do this to yourself" she answered finally.

Someone else had spoken those words to Homura once, and she'd ultimately left her behind. Homura's gaze lingered on the ground in front of her, her weary posture slumping somewhat. When she spoke her voice was low, "No one should _ever_ care about me. The world is a demonstratively better place without me in it" she turned to Nagisa, sadness hidden behind her increasingly brittle iron, "I am not your friend, I am not someone you can relate to, I am not someone you can aspire to be. I am a malevolent yet necessary force, as impersonal and implacable as anything Sheogorath or Molag Bal can muster. I am eternal, the wishes of a dying witch given form, and once I am back to full power I will stop at _nothing _to accomplish my goal".

Nagisa watched Homura, bewildered that she could say that about herself, and seeing for perhaps the first time exactly how _exhausted _she looked.

"...If you're an implacable force instead of a person, then why do you always look so sad and tired?"

At first caught off-guard, Homura's fists then clenched, "I'm _not_".

Nagisa glanced away, "...Your favorite color is red". Homura gasped slightly at Nagisa's sudden statement of fact, "You like romance novels and daytime serials, but you hated it when other people found out. You always wanted to learn how to garden, but you never had the time. You think jello with the fruit in it is gross. You-"

"Stop" Homura demanded, almost at a loss for words, "..._How?"_

Nagisa gave her an awkward smile, the kind kids give when they know they've done something naughty, "...I was the receptacle for Madoka's memories, remember? Just in case something happened inside the isolation field. You never bothered to sever my connection to the Law of Cycles".

"...You have Madoka's memories" Homura breathed, not sure how to digest this fact.

"No, not so much anymore. The Law of Cycles is gone and the memories faded away. I still have a few I remember looking at. Memories _of _memories now, I suppose". Nagisa shuffled her feet, "I probably shouldn't have looked at them...Sorry".

"...That girl died" Homura said emptily, referring to her old self as she stared at the fire, "I killed her twice over. Not that she was worth much of anything, or held any real value. She was weak, someone who couldn't even uphold her promises to people".

"...Then why do you still care?"

To that, Homura had no answer.

Something _clicked _in Nagisa's mind, between this conversation and their one they'd had on the rooftop a few days before, "...Do you love Madoka?"

"She is the _only_ thing I love. She is my reason for being". Homura turned away, preventing Nagisa from seeing her face. She sat down near the exit to the cave. It was cold and windy thanks to the blizzard, far less hospitable than the warm fire...but she didn't care. She just needed to be as far from Nagisa as possible.

Nagisa spent the next few minutes of silence making dinner, while also struggling to come up with something, _anything _to keep Homura from making a pact with Molag Bal.

Maybe the simplest, dumbest plan would suffice after all.

She handed Homura a bowl of food. It looked disgusting—honestly Dunmer food was foreign to her, but it tasted alright enough when she'd tried it. Homura took the bowl and silently put it in her lap, still watching the ash and snow outside.

"We should talk to her" Nagisa said at last, sitting down near her but respectfully not next to her.

"So she can smile and tell me it's alright before leaving again?"

Nagisa grumbled, "...What if we present a united front? You and me together. We make our case; we might even get Kyoko back on our side! She can't just shake off a whole bunch of us!"

Homura grimaced at the way her last meeting with Kyoko had gone, "...Doubtful. And what would we even do about Miki and Tomoe? Even if they let us approach without a fight, there is no way they would ever let us state our case to her". The fragile heroes. Always the problem that no matter what, Homura could never find a way to account for.

"...We could wait for them to split up, like they did the other day when Madoka and Mami went looking for books. Or we could engineer a situation ourselves where Mami and Sayaka aren't there. Or...something. We have options. Please".

Homura took a deep breath, "Fine. One last chance".

Nagisa's face broke into a wide grin of relief, "Thank you!" She'd gotten though! Wow! Nagisa had no idea how she'd managed to accomplish this, but she wasn't about to look a gift-horse in the mouth. Now she just had to make sure her plan would succeed.

She could do this! She was going to do this!

"Mm" was Homura's mute reaction as she looked down to the rather unappetizing-looking food in her lap. Nagisa's plan was doomed to failure—either Madoka would tell them what they wanted to hear before going ahead with her own plan anyway, or they would end up in a protracted engagement with her companions and be worse off than before. Homura couldn't take Mami, Sayaka, and Kyoko all at once, and she didn't have confidence that Nagisa could make up the difference. The quartet had very clearly closed ranks over the past few days—even Kyoko, which was still a surprise Homura had not been able to predict, which only made her more uneasy.

And even if they _could _win, Madoka would not likely be in the mood for discussion after they'd injured or slain all her friends. Besides, Madoka would simply ignore them when the time came because she would feel the need to take on all the responsibility herself.

But, if the idea kept Nagisa off her back for the time being then so be it. They'd 'wait' for an opportunity that would never come, and meanwhile Homura would continue weighing her real options. If Sheogorath was trying to foil her, then he'd have to do a better job than sending a nine-year-old after her. He was obviously running out of moves to play, and that gave her some quiet satisfaction.

* * *

Ebonheart was...not the most scenic of places, Mami decided. Its architecture was somewhere between 'Traditional Japanese', 'European Gothic', and some measure of Middle Eastern flare all blended together and built out of dark igneous volcanic stone, giving every building some measure of gloomy if not outright sinister vibes—not helped by the sharp, imposing angles or the fact that the smoggy ash-ridden air hid much of the city-scape from her. In the distance, to the east towered Ash Mountain, a volcano in mid-eruption as its lava rivers rolled down the sides of the mountain into the mouth of the Thirr River below. Nor was it the only volcano: far to the north across the Inner Sea was the ever-present Red Mountain, and to the southwest one could see the glow of the Tormented Spire.

Somehow, it was _less _inviting than even Silgrad had been. Mami was starting to understand Kyoko's distaste for the region. At least it wasn't snowing still.

She glanced down at her gem in her hand as it glowed softly, just like the others', as if they'd needed further confirmation of witches. They stood atop a rooftop on the city outskirts, watching their gems with solemn grimness.

"...How many, do you think?" Sayaka asked, the only one not holding her gem as it was in Madoka's possession.

Madoka closed her eyes in thought, the other three all turning to her. She let the cold wind roll past her, "...Just one" she said with a troubled voice. The other girls gave her a surprised look, "Only a few roaming familiars either".

"...Are you certain?" Mami asked. A witch left alone this long, for weeks at least and with the number of dead according by what Madoka had said Azura told her...the city should have been heavily infested by now without any magical girls to keep things together.

"...So it's a trap" Kyoko sighed, balancing her spear on the back of her neck after putting her gem away, "Someone planted it there and is keeping it from making babies".

"It's a definite possibility" Mami agreed solemnly, "Where is it?"

Madoka pointed towards the northeast, "Quarter of a kilometer that way, near the center district".

"So what are we waitin' for?" Kyoko dislodged her spear from her shoulders and made ready to move, "Let's go magical girl it up".

With a steadying inhale and exhale, Madoka stepped forward and the four girls headed off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as they sought out the closest witch. This was not going to be a happy experience for her.

* * *

Redaar Uvayven understood himself to be a proud but pragmatic mer. He had seen many things in his time as captain of the Ebonheart militia; bandits, ash spawn, Argonian raiders. He'd fought Daedra, handled Nord ambassadors, and there was even that time some n'wah Maormer pirate had accidentally unleashed a Kamal curse on the city from an artifact he'd 'acquired' overseas. Redaar was no stranger to the bizarreness a large port city could contain, or of the dangers outlanders could bring with them.

But this?

This was _madness._

He'd stumbled into this...well, he could only assume it was some pocket realm of Oblivion, with twenty strong mer. They'd been trying to track down the source of the sudden rash of vanished people, and had gotten more than any of them had bargained for. He was down to twelve soldiers now, and they hadn't even laid a scratch on whatever creature was in command here. A Daedric Prince? There had been no success in communicating with it though, and it almost seemed..._feral_.

The next wave of animated paper cut-outs of what looked remarkably like Dwemer automatons chained together as prisoners approached the now unorganized remains of the militia unit. Redaar had ordered them to retreat to the perimeter, only to find the perimeter had vanished and they were now surrounded. The realm shifted and altered chaotically, and there was no way to find their way back. Behind the legion of paper monsters stood what Redaar could only assume was the master of this realm: a twelve-story tall legless skeleton that looked to be made out of stained glass and _wrong,_ shuddering unnaturally and garbed in ornate temple robes. In its hands it held warped versions of Azura's sacred symbols of moon and star, defiled and on fire. All around them was a temple, twisted and distorted, in endless rings that continued forever with no exit.

They were going to die here.

"Steady, mer!" the captain commanded, brandishing his sword defiantly as they prepared for what was probably going to be their final stand, "Never forget who we are. We are Redoran! We are Dunmer! We are _Morrowind!_ We go now to Moonshadow, in service of the Reclamations! Stand firm and _hold!__"_

The phalanx line reformed as best it could, shields up and spears out as the faux-Dwemer creations closed in. Redaar called to his two remaining battlemages. Immediately they brought up their staves and cast another volley of fire spells at the enemy.

The enemy was upon them.

But just as their last stand began, he could have sworn he heard...children?

"Holy shit, there's people down there".

"They're still alive!"

"Kyoko, Sayaka; crowd control. Madoka, cover me so I can get them out!"

And just like that a stream of magic light arrows rained down, followed by two Akaviri girls no older than schoolchildren, one with long, red hair and the others' blue and short. They did not look at one another, they did not outwardly acknowledge the others' existence. Yet still they worked in tandem as more arrows came down, cutting through the enemy hoard with their spear and swords and forcing them back.

Another girl dropped in behind the phalanx line, this one blonde and a crossbow in hand, "Are any of you injured?"

Redaar looked behind him where three of his mer were on the ground, wounded and no longer capable of fighting, "Those three are the worst, but there's none standing who are unmarred".

The blonde nodded, "Understood, tell your men to fall back with me. I'll-"

"Yo Mami, we pissed off the hive!" the redhead shouted. Sure enough, the skeleton priest had grown two more arms and was on the move, preparing to bring its hands down like it was smashing bugs. An arrow of light went into its left socket before exploding as a pink-haired girl with a bow came down.

One of the hands nearly crushed the redhead, who rolled out of the way at the last second. She pulled herself up with her spear and struck at the monster, "You know, his was way more fun when I had _powers_!"

"Go!" the blonde (Mami, was it?) told Redaar, "Pull your men back, we'll hold the line!"

"What? We don't-" the Dunmer's protests fell on deaf ears; Mami was already gone, using a chain to hook herself to one of the arms as it pulled back up and using the momentum to vault herself towards the creature.

...Fine. Whatever.

"Everyone, grab the wounded and fall back!" Redaar exclaimed.

"Sayaka, I need cover!" the Madoka called as she gave Mami support by charging the monster.

"On it!"

Kyoko grunted in irritation as she cut through the bone of one of the arms and severed a hand, "No that's fine, everyone ditch me. It's all good".

Madoka and Sayaka ran under the skeleton's ribcage, visible through the torn and tattered robes, and as the swordswoman kept the paper minions at bay the archer aimed up and began launching arrows of light at the monster's chest. Parts of the robe burned away, revealing that inside the ribcage were many more smaller skulls.

By now Mami had made it to the back of the skeleton's neck. She pulled out her lightning staff and jammed it in between two of the vertebrae before letting loose a storm of electricity. The skeleton jolted down, its remaining three hands holding itself up above the ground. It retched and then…

Well, it vomited. All of them did. Their jaws unhinged, opening unnaturally wide as corruptive magical energy flowed out.

"Wards!" Kyoko shouted with alarm as she caught up with the others. She and the Sayaka raised twin magical barriers, just in time to let the opposing magic roll off them.

"Mami, we're pinned down!"

Mami glanced down at her teammates being deluged by the monster's corruption, then with a war cry took her staff and again jammed it into the skeleton's neck. Her next magical blast was enough to sever the creature's spine, and the head skull fell to the ground behind the other girls. The chest skulls ceased their attack as the monster shifted back up to a sitting position.

All four girls tensed as they realized what was happening even as they couldn't stop it—this witch had a second form. Mami wisely jumped off and rolled over to the others when she hit the ground. For the first time they could see that the witch was like a puppet as its strings pulled the whole body up. The skulls in its chest pulled out of the ribcage like a hydra before it smashed the burning star and moon symbols together in its hands and set its entire glass body on fire. The detonation of the symbols caused fire to rain down, engulfing the paper familiars and turning them to blackened corpses.

"...Oh, that's a Nope right there" Kyoko remarked at the hellish sight.

"The strings!" Sayaka called out.

The burning skulls moved in.

Kyoko blocked and parried with her spear, "Yeah, good luck getting to them!" Instinctively Kyoko brought out a fire spell, before realizing the absurdity of the idea. She dodged another skull, "Yeah, real smart Kyoko. Fire vs. fire" she muttered to herself, before a grin crossed her face at an idea. Swinging her lance into her left hand, in her right Kyoko summoned to her an Aedric spear of light and twirled both weapons around at the enemy before chucking the disposable one at the nearest skull. Yeah, it had _definitely _been worth 'acquiring' a proper spellbook on that when she'd passed through Riften.

Sayaka opened up with an ice spell, extinguishing the skull coming right at her. It did nothing for the kinetic impact though, and she was thrown back even as she brought her swords up for defense.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko yelled before having to again dodge. She swung around, managing to land a hit with her spear and slicing one of the skulls off from its neck.

Sayaka rolled to a stop and used one of her swords to bring her upright—just as the frozen skull flew at her for a second punch. Though she wasn't fast enough to avoid the attack, Madoka's Aedric arrow spell was enough to shatter it.

"...That's it" Mami breathed, a plan coming to mind, "Sayaka, what's your highest-level ice spell?"

"Uh...Frost Nova!"

Adept level and area-focused instead of directed. Fantastic. "Kyoko, group ward. Sayaka, let loose on my mark. You two will smash the skulls while Madoka and I catch a ride up top to deal with the strings. Ready?"

The group's response was unanimous, "Ready!"

Kyoko threw the ward up as everyone grouped together.

"Mark!"

From a safe distance, Redaar watched as the unlikely group of kids worked as a single effective unit. The blue one sent out a shockwave of frozen magic that stopped each of the skulls in their path and frosted them over, emptying her mana reserve but giving the others a chance to get out of the kill zone. Red and blue swung around, their spear and swords shattering each skull in turn as yellow grabbed hold of pink and wrapped her chain around one of the skulls' necks. As the remains of the skulls pulled back they were hoisted into the air, and yellow used a simple air-boost spell to increase her velocity as they flung themselves up and over the skeleton.

"Now!"

The pink one aimed her bow, charged up a light arrow as they hovered for that brief moment before the fall, and then let loose a shower of light shards, with a number of them hitting their intended targets. The skeleton roared as its strings were cut and it began to fall.

"Scatter!" the red one shouted as she and blue rolled out of the way, just in time to avoid the bones as they smashed into the ground and shattered lifelessly.

And just like that, the world around them shifted and rippled, evaporating back into the familiar streets of Ebonheart, as if the monster and its realm had never been there at all.

Redaar watched pink let go of yellow and walk over to a small, black orb with silver highlights. She gently picked both it and a small piece of paper lying beside it up.

"...What's that?" blue asked.

Pink squinted and frowned, "I don't know. Looks like a message of some kind, but it's...confusing". Blue and red moved in to get a closer look. Yellow scooped up a number of black crystal shards lying on the ground next to where the orb had been.

"...A black Tamrielic soul gem".

Red grimaced, "...Crap".

Feeling _extremely _out of the loop and ignored, Redaar cleared his throat as he stepped forward, past his fellow mer as his mages took care of the wounded, "...Excuse me".

The girls turned to him, and to their credit blushed when they realized they'd been ignoring the people they'd saved.

"Oh, apologies!" the yellow one said bashfully, "Are you all alright?"

"We are now, thanks to you" Redaar said gratefully, though still warily. Outlanders were always a mixed bag; Akaviri especially as they were unpredictable in their intentions, "Captain Redaar Uvayven of the Ebonheart guard militia. And you are…?"

"Mami Tomoe. And these are my friends, Madoka Kaname, Sayaka Miki, and Kyoko Sakura". The other girls waved.

Redaar's eyes widened at Madoka, "...Kana—ah, I see. You are the one the priests in the temple spoke of".

Madoka gave a near-double take, "Wait, what?"

"The priests told us Lady Azura would be sending someone. I assume that would be you?"

"I...yeah, that's me" Madoka said, slightly glum at being lumped in with Azura.

"I mean no offense but...of all people I did not expect Akaviri schoolchildren".

"Yeah, we get that a lot" Kyoko said.

"...What exactly is all this then?" Redaar asked, waving his hands around at the empty are, "What was that? Why was it stealing people away? And who are you?"

The girls gave each other a glance before Mami replied, "Long story short, it's a sort of...Akaviri curse. We're experts of a sort on it".

"And the long answer, if you don't mind my asking?" he wasn't much in the mood for vague platitudes and non-answers. He needed to know exactly what he was dealing with.

A series of audible sighs could be heard.

"I think that will require a much longer debrief" Madoka stepped forward, "Before that however, we think someone might have set this curse deliberately. Would you happen to be able to read this?" she handed him the piece of paper. On it was a series of moving Daedric runes, and immediately he called over one of his mages. Unlike most of the guards who were wearing thick yellow chiten plate armor, the mages were garbed in fairly ornate and heavy robes with the old House Telvanni 'root' symbol underneath and dominated by the larger crab-like Redoran symbol.

"...This looks to be part of a magical cipher of some kind, though I'd likely need time and help to crack it back at the garrison".

Redaar nodded towards his soldiers, a few of them so wounded they were still lying down, and the rest were various levels of injured, "We need to get back in any event, my mer are in disparate need of medical attention" he looked at Madoka, "Will you follow, sera?"

Madoka smiled, "We will".

* * *

The interior of the Ebonheart city hall was as dark, foreboding, and cold as the rest of the city. The outside had been imposing; a central tall tower with stained glass windows flanked by two shorter but still rather large towers atop a large building that dominated its surroundings. Inside the multitude of paper lanterns, candles, and decorative glowing fungal plants weren't quite enough to counteract the dark nature of the volcanic stone, but at least the place was well-decorated. Chambers filled with windy, twisted trees (with red and purple leaves alongside the green) and mushrooms, ornate mosaics on the ceilings, highly detailed yet flowing abstract designs carved into the stone walls, an abundance of lanterns, tapestries, rugs, and wooden furniture...it was beautiful in its own distant, alien way.

Along the way the quartet had somewhat reluctantly given Redaar an abridged version of their story. All the important bits, none of the slog...or possible looming apocalypse. They'd left out the part about the world shards, and as far as Redaar was concerned, they really were from Akavir. He'd been disbelieving at first, then on-edge, but eventually he had settled into a sort of shell-shocked acceptance.

Azura _had _sent them, after all, and after a brief visit from Azura's priests to have their identities confirmed, he had no further doubts. Still, it was hard to believe he was now escorting a Daedric Prince in the flesh...and one he'd never heard of before, to boot. As far as gods went though, you could certainly be in worse company than 'hope'. She was certainly friendly enough, if a little morose. Her friends (Allied demi-princes? Lesser aspects? Mortal priests in all but name? They'd been rather vague on their exact nature) were equally so.

The girls soon found themselves high in the complex's east tower. Sayaka idly glanced out the window at the mushroom garden in the structure's central open courtyard below, making sure to keep out of the way while the Telvanni mages worked with Madoka and Mami watching.

'Telvanni'. Kyoko had initially flipped when they revealed their guild's name, but they were quite adamant they weren't affiliated with Neloth or House Telvanni of old—not since the Unification War. Their organization was under the direct control of House Redoran and the Council of Morrowind now. That had been enough to placate her, but she still wasn't pleased. Kyoko was currently brooding in the corner, leaning against the wall next to a bookshelf with one foot up and giving the mages the fish-eye, waiting for them to try anything funny.

"Any progress?" Redaar asked as the somewhat grumpy middle-aged Dunmer walked into the room, still in full and bloodied armor. Between setting all this up and making sure his soldiers were being taken care of in the infirmary, he hadn't had so much as a chance to sit down since returning.

"Steady. It's odd; the enchantment is oddly cooperative. It's more an elaborate puzzle than a true seal" one of the mages said.

"So. Someone _is _leaving us breadcrumbs" Mami surmised grimly, echoing the other girls' thoughts.

Redaar turned his attention to the girls, "Who do you think it is, then? Who sent this curse, this..._witch_ as you called it?"

The four girls shared a look before Madoka answered, "We..._think_ it might be the Thalmor. We don't really have any proof though".

Redaar grit his teeth as the elf seethed, "Thalmor" he spat, "Always the bloody Thalmor".

"You have history?" Mami asked.

"Not personally, no" Redaar folded his hands behind his back and walked over to one of the windows, staring out towards Red Mountain across the Inner Sea, "The Altmer have never forgiven our people for abandoning Summerset and coming here, not even after all this time. Nor do they approve of our choice in gods. They consider us to be degraded, lesser, and this has only gotten worse since the Dominion took over and begun spouting nonsense about a 'Pan-Elven Empire'. A few decades ago one of the Great Houses, House Sadras, attempted a coup against the rest of the houses with Thalmor backing. When this plot was discovered, House Redoran was forced to put them down...and then we put down the other Great Houses" the two mages flinched just slightly, "We called it the Unification War. Since then the Thalmor have attempted numerous failed schemes against us, just as they do to the rest of Tamriel. If what you say is true, then they have moved beyond mere subterfuge".

One of the mages spoke up, "...This cipher _does _use signatures commonly employed by the Thalmor and the Dominion, though sloppier and simpler than usually expected".

Redaar's brow furrowed as he turned around towards Madoka, "Do you have any idea what the Thalmor's plan might be?"

She shook her head sadly, "Sorry. We're just in the dark as you are at the moment. Honestly there's a lot more questions than answers right now".

"We've broken the cipher" one of the mages said.

"What's it say?" Redaar asked as Mami and Kyoko moved in around Madoka and the mages. Sayaka turned from her silent window vigil.

"...It's a series of coordinates" Madoka said.

"To where?"

The head mage spoke up, "The summit of Ash Mountain".

* * *

Located directly east of the city on the other side of the river, Ash Mountain hadn't taken particularly long to get to. Longer had it taken for Redaar to summon up a fresh contingent of mer to march alongside the girls.

As it turned out, Ash Mountain was riddled with a maze of ancient Chimer temple ruins and caves—but the most prominent of them was a large open arena near the peak of the mountain; and the battlemages _were _detecting something up there. So the armed force entered the mountain, though oddly unopposed. There were no further signs of witches to the girls' relief, but it was also a bit eerie; the suspense and anticipation mounted.

The ruins were...odd. Dark, even darker than the material used to build Ebonheart, and arrayed in odd geometric patterns that also somehow didn't always make sense?

"Responsible Architecture" Redaar said when he caught them looking at the broken arches and dilapidated statues, "A gift from Boethiah to the Chimer people when they began to first colonize Morrowind. The art was gradually lost after the Tribunal came to power and the old temples were left to ruin"

"Tribunal?" Sayaka asked.

"Three mer masquerading as gods. They ruled for a few millennia before meeting their ends. Since then our religion has shifted back to venerating the three Good Daedra who brought us to Morrowind in the first place; Azura, Mephala, and Boethiah".

"...You worship the Daedra?" Sayaka asked, her voice dripping with incredulity, the first she'd spoken the whole trip.

"Are you not the same?" Redaar asked, perhaps a bit more tersely than warranted. When no one ventured to respond he added, "The trinity has protected us and guided us since our ancestors left Summerset, even when we've strayed from the path" Redaar explained, "Despite what the westerners might tell you, Daedra are no more 'evil' than any force of nature. Is fire evil? Is ash? Is a guar? Azura is the beauty in twilight. Boethiah is strength through struggle. Mephala is the unknown. Even the House of Troubles serve their purpose in our lives by testing our faith and principles: Molag Bal is both endless determination and temptation, Sheogorath creativity and doubt, Mehrunes Dagon change and revolution, Malacath physical prowess and the representation of external foes. They are what they are, and trying to blame fire because it burns misses the point".

Sayaka opened her mouth to retort considering everything that had happened to her over the past few months, but ultimately bit her tongue. Don't make things worse, don't make things worse, don't make things worse. Just be quiet and keep your head down.

Despite everything, Sayaka agreed with Kyoko on one matter: Morrowind sucked. She did get some small cold satisfaction however, in that it seemed Madoka shared her opinions on the matter, if her friend's troubled expression was any indication. Madoka caught Sayaka looking to her and gave a small, reassuring half-smile.

"...You seem to be a man of faith, Captain Uvayven" Mami said, trying to defuse the sudden tenseness she noticed growing among her team.

He smiled a bit at this, "Yes, I suppose I am. Probably odd for career military, I know" a sigh, "My mother was a priest for the Tribunal Temple during the latter years of the Third Era. She was proud Redoran, resolute in her faith. In my youth I was a bit of a counterculture rebel, dabbling in Daedra worship behind her back. They were good enough for our ancestors, and in my eyes the Tribunal weren't all that impressive; hiding behind closed doors, offering vague sermons, and letting the Empire colonize our lands like we were common savages. Then...then the Tribunal died. Almalexia killed Sotha Sil in cold blood, the Nerevarine killed her, and Vivec abandoned us—and as a result Red Year happened. The Tribunal Temple imploded. My mother committed suicide. And suddenly like that, my counterculture became _the _culture. And I suppose I've felt a bit vindicated ever since".

"...I'm so sorry for your loss" Madoka said. Kyoko hung back, her eyes dark.

"It's quite alright, it's been a few centuries. For a young adult though, and the oldest of five kids in a world that was quickly descending into an apocalypse, it was certainly a trying time".

The small force reached an open archway leading out of the caves to the path that would take them to the summit. In the distance they could hear the thunder of volcanic lightning striking the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, the path seemed to be blocked by a shimmering barrier of magic. One which, as the mages soon discovered, was seemingly impenetrable. Attempts to simply force their way through turned into trying to drain the barrier which turned into trying to counteract it.

No dice all around.

"It's highly advanced magic craft, that much is obvious" one of the mages said as Redaar conferred with them. Most of his mer had sat down after the past hour of waiting, waiting listlessly. "The modulation frequency of the enchantment keeps shifting, preventing us from getting a lock.

"Thalmor?" Redaar asked.

Another mage nodded, "The signs are pointing in that direction, yes. There are few organizations that could weave magic this advanced".

"The only thing at odds with that theory is that it's...almost _tonal_ in its construction" the first mage added with a bit of surprise, "The Altmer don't often mess with tonal magic".

Unbeknownst to them, a bored Kyoko had approached the barrier, wanting to touch it as it hadn't harmed any of the mages when they'd tried and she was curious what solid magic would feel like.

"Mmh, never put it past the Thalmor to upend Altmer tradition in favor of power. What can we do about it?" Redaar asked.

"At the moment? Not much, tonal manipulation is a tricky and somewhat esoteric subject, and we don't have the tools on hand to deal with it. We could try and match the frequency modulation, but that is kind of a trial and error. If we could find the enchantment responsible for the barrier we could just destroy it, but good luck reaching it since it could be anywhere on the summit".

"Could we drill an exit up?" Redaar asked.

The mage scoffed, "Only if you want to risk bringing the temple and the mountain down on us. And anyway, it's very likely the barrier extends over the entire summit. Portals and teleportation are out, too".

"...Uh, guys?" Kyoko called, and everyone turned in surprise to see her sticking her hand through the barrier like it wasn't even there.

Cautiously Madoka did the same, and then stepped through entirely, turning back to the others as she saw them opposite the barrier.

"...It would seem our mystery host wishes to speak with us alone" Mami said, also testing the barrier. Just to make sure, one of the mages and a couple soldiers attempted to cross once again, with a similar result as before.

"One hundred and ten percent a trap" Kyoko warned.

Madoka closed her eyes and sighed, "...But I don't really have a choice" she looked at Kyoko, "If you want to stay here, I won't-"

"Madoka. What did we talk about in Silgrad?" Mami said with a bit of sternness. She stepped through the barrier right next to Madoka. Madoka gave her a grateful, yet somewhat chastened look. _Oops._

"Sorry".

Behind her, Sayaka silently stepped through the barrier.

"...So just so we're clear, we're going into the lion's den and we don't have any clue who they are. We're all aware of that, right?" Kyoko stepped through to the other side.

Mami rubbed her chin, "I don't think they want to kill us, at least not yet. If they had, they could have simply swarmed the city with witches and killed us in the chaos. Instead they left only one as a signal".

"They didn't try to trap us inside the mountain either" Madoka added.

"I still don't trust it" Kyoko said, "Ugh, it's the vampire guy all over again: volcanic level edition".

"Agreed. Keep on your guard" Mami said.

Redaar stepped up to the barrier, conflicted. On one hand, while he intellectually knew they weren't just kids, instinctively he couldn't move past that. Plus, this just didn't seem very wise from a tactical perspective. On the other hand, he was looking at an Akaviri deity, albeit a fallen one, whom Azura had sent on a particular mission. Beyond that, from what he'd gathered from their discussion, this was sort of their fault: witches were their domain and had no place in Morrowind.

Typical for outlanders; bringing their problems to Morrowind. Certainly, they'd saved his mer and he was incredibly grateful for that, but if the outlanders wanted to press ahead and make things easier for his own forces, then who was he to stand in the way?

"...I can't say I condone this. But...you know this situation better than we do, and Azura _did _send you here on this task" he nodded, slightly reluctantly, "If this is your decision, than good luck. We will try to find a way to get through and aid you as soon as we can".

Madoka nodded back at him, putting a warm smile on her face, "Thank you for the escort, Captain Uvayven".

With that, the quartet of girls looked up at the stormy, blackened sky above the mountain—a mixture of erupting smoke and ash mixing with the clouds above and making it even darker than elsewhere in Morrowind. Lightning thundered down.

"...Where angels fear to tread" Kyoko muttered under breath.

"What was that?" Mami asked.

Kyoko shook her head, "Never mind. Something my dad said once".

"They definitely picked a good place for their evil lair, whoever they are" Sayaka quipped as they walked up the final winding path to the summit, though there was no humor in her voice. They were flanked by jagged volcanic rock, preventing them from seeing much of the surrounding landscape and keeping them close together as they continued to climb.

Soon enough the quartet emerged out onto the...well, not really the summit as the volcano's core continued a but further up, but a large flat region that might as well have been the summit. It had clearly once been a temple complex of some kind, with the same dark and twisted 'Responsible Architecture' the girls had seen on the way up. Much of it however had been left to ruin, either toppled over or sinking into the various streams of lava that passed through the pavilion.

Speaking of which, unlike the rest of Morrowind so far into winter, here it was _hot_. Mami was pretty sure that if it hadn't been for magic, they'd all be dead right now. Blisteringly heated air brushed past them, causing them all to start sweating even as they all brandished their weapons, circling around one another to cover each others' flanks.

"...So where are they?" Sayaka asked, not seeing anyone.

That's when the slow, singular clapping began. The girls looked up at a set of still-standing ruins where the sound was coming from. There, a girl a little bit older than them with strawberry-blonde hair giggled a bit, sitting on top of the ruins with a halberd in her lap. She wore silver High Elven-style mithril armor with gold trim; resplendent, flowing and light, thin and intricately-detailed plates overlaid on top of fine chain-mail. On her chestplate the eagle of the Aldmeri Dominion spread its glorious wings. In her free hand she held a pair of grief seeds, moving them about like stress balls, and on her belt hung a string of them like trophies of a hunt—which made Madoka put her hand over her mouth in silent horror.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. I was starting to get worried. And you brought your little friends!" she tilted her head, "Well, _most _of them anyway".

"...Who...are you?" Madoka asked, unsure of even herself. The girl..._almost _looked familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

The girl stood up, a displeased look on her face as she showed them her hand—a very familiar ring sat on one of her fingers, enlarged to fit on top of her armored gauntlet...her soul gem. "You don't remember me. Of course not, why would you? I must have been one of countless nobodies for you. But I remember _you_, Madoka Kaname. As if I could ever forget our 'goddess'". She stepped forward, before stepping off the ruins and gently floating down to the ground, her feet touching Nirn almost like a feather. Mami, Sayaka, and Kyoko immediately stepped forward in defense. The girl leered at the three hungrily, "And I have been _waiting_ for this moment".

"...What are you after?" Mami demanded to know, "Why did you turn those people into witches?"

"The Thalmor needed test subjects, and maybe a proof of concept or two. Can't make an omelet and all that jazz" she patted her string of collected grief seeds, "Don't worry, I'm taking good care of them. As for what _I_ want?" a dark smile formed on the girl's lips as a giggle escaped, "I want a lot of things. But let's start with revenge".


	24. 2x06: Did you really think

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: DID YOU REALLY THINK THERE WOULDN'T BE CONSEQUENCES?**

* * *

Sayaka did a double-take at the new girl's appearance. Wait, she looked familiar. Hadn't she been one of the girls Tart had-

The first shot of golden energy went off like a rocket from the tip of the girl's halberd. The quartet barely managed to evade, scattering in different directions while the blast impacted the rock face behind them.

"...And so long, negotiations!" Kyoko roared with a wide grin as she gripped her spear and charged in, Mami and Sayaka right behind from different directions.

"Wait!" Madoka shouted, but the melee had already begun. The new girl began to fend off all three of her enemies at once, dancing expertly between them as if she knew the moves they were going to make. Madoka aimed her bow but resisted firing, "Please, we don't need to fight!"

"Madoka, she just witched a ton of people, are you _serious_?!" Sayaka shouted back, her swords currently wedged around the girl's halberd. She turned to the girl, "How did you even _do_ that?!"

The interloper winked, "A girl's gotta have her secrets". She pushed Sayaka away before charging up her halberd with golden energy and slashing a wide arc at her foe. Sayaka's armor sparked and blackened at the point of impact as she was tossed away. It was just in time for the newcomer, as Mami's chain whip came in which she evaded before taking the fight to Kyoko. She weaved in and out as Kyoko tried to land another hit.

"Tough talk from some little shit who's about to get wrecked in a 4v1!" Kyoko shouted.

With a smirk the girl vanished in a puff of magic—and Kyoko and Mami yelped as they nearly ran into one another, barely avoiding hitting the other with their weapons.

"...Where-" Mami wondered, both girls very perplexed.

Sayaka felt a brush of air behind her, but by the time she turned it was already too late; she was sent hurdling into Mami and Kyoko's arms

"Four on one?" the mystery girl grinned as she casually hoisted her halberd over her shoulders, "That's not very fair..." she glanced at Madoka in the corner of her eye with an absolutely predatory look, "For_ any of you_".

"I don't understand why you're doing any of this!" Madoka called out, her bow still trained but her voice pleading and baffled, "Why do you want revenge?!" The other girls readied themselves once more.

The girl seemed very unconcerned with being surrounded. She walked idly, "All these surprised questions...all these assumptions that we're somehow supposed to be friends!"

Madoka let her bow down slightly, her eyes narrowing at the magical girl, "...Shouldn't we be?"

The girl stopped, her back turned to Madoka before she turned back around to face her, "...Oh? What's my name then?"

"What?"

"My name" the girl repeated, "If we're friends then you must know who I am".

"...I..." Madoka thought quickly, desperately. She seemed _almost _familiar, but it...the more she tried to hold onto that, the less it came to her. She wasn't the Law of Cycles; her mortal mind simply didn't have the capacity to remember every girl, or every planet, or every eon of time anymore.

The girl shook her head in exaggerated performative disappointment, "You don't even know my name. I know all of yours" she walked back over, taking note of each of Madoka's companions, "I've studied you all in depth. I know how you act, how you fight, how you think. I know your strengths and weaknesses better than you do. I know how to break you" She made a fist as she cast a wry grin at Madoka, "Not that you'd need help with that, being the self-destructive gremlins that you are".

Kyoko growled, gesturing with her spear "Ain't no one knows how I work, bitch".

The girl turned to her, "So tell me Kyoko Sakura, did your dad ever hit your mom _before _you shattered his faith?"

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock, her mouth slightly open before an absolutely murderous look took hold. She gripped her spear, "...And now you die".

"…Akari" Sayaka stated suddenly, before the fight could resume. Finally, the name that had been on the tip of her tongue came to her, "Your name is Akari Izumi. I remember you now, you showed up with Tart's flight, right?" the girl's lack of reaction was all the answer Sayaka needed. Sayaka cautiously stepped forward as anger bubbled up, "...What happened to the others? What the hell are you doing making witches!?" she froze, a horrible thought coming to her as she found herself unable to look away from Akari's trophy stash, "You didn't...don't tell me..." She'd _known _Tart, been on missions with her. Tart was a friend!

Akari laughed, "Nah, they aren't part of my collection" a sigh of relief went up, "Hell if I know where anyone ended up; I was the only one who landed in Dominion territory as far as I know. As for your other question; duh, I'm freeing souls from their mortal prison".

The quartet all looked at Akari like she'd grown a second head. Madoka voiced their collective confusion, "...What?"

Akari snorted, "Figures you basic bitches didn't ever stop to think about anything instead of just assuming things. Didn't you ever wonder what witches _are_?" when the quartet gave her odd looks she rolled her eyes and continued, "You know how this world was made, right? Padomay came into Anu, blah blah blah, and suddenly there were the Et'Ada, formless spirits and urges. The laws of reality, still unbound and newborn. Concepts barely beginning to understand themselves. Sound familiar? Daedra have designated spheres of influence and attributes they define, free of all earthly measures. They hide away in their everlasting realms of perfection, attended to by their minions and inviting mortal souls in at their leisure. I thought the connection here was kinda obvious".

"...What the hell are you on about?!" Kyoko demanded to know.

"Ugh, you tell me, _Ophelia_" Akari stressed the name, irritated at the denseness of what should have been obvious, "The wudan witch of abandonment" she turned to Mami who was already well into considering the implications, "Candeloro, the dress-up witch with an inviting nature" she turned to Sayaka, "Oktavia von Seckendorff, mermaid witch of falling in love. Charlotte; witch of sweets" she approached a shocked Madoka with a dark smile, "...Kriemhild Gretchen, witch of salvation and mercy. Or is it despair now? The difference between the Law of Cycles and your personal labyrinth seems vanishingly small".

Akari turned away from a suddenly _very _uncomfortable Madoka, "So tell me, what is a witch but a miniature newborn Et'Ada, clamoring hazily for purpose? They are a mini-Dawn unto themselves, chaotic, ever-present, and infinite. Case in point, your little asshole friend whose familiars stabbed me through the abdomen with sewing needles when I came to save your sorry ass, and then killed everyone I'd ever known. The nutcracker witch; she who presides over the mortal world".

She looked at each of the girls, their heads spinning. Madoka in particular was very quickly coming to some _interesting _conclusions. Vaermina; prince of nightmares. All it had taken for Madoka to beat her was to grab Sayaka with her hands. Her _hands_, which according to her wish…

Holy _shit._

"Hah! I see you're connecting the dots, _finally._ That's right, princess!" the seventeen-year-old leered down at Madoka, "The big reason none of the other Princes have tried screwing with you directly is because by your very nature, you're a daedra killer, and quite possibly one of the most dangerous concepts that has ever existed. You're like Lorkhan on turbo-drive; a god of limitations, someone who _forces _something to be defined by what Is Not. The existence of hope, after all, implies things can change from the current moment, which pretty much _requires_ mortality and linear progression to operate. You're able to exist because entropy exists" she frowned as she had second thoughts, "...Okay, maybe more like Talos actually, since you're not really an Et'Ada, but a mortal who underwent apotheosis. A Prince of Oblivion by virtue of residence rather than birth. But you get what I'm trying to say, right? Right" her grin turned wider, "Unfortunately for you though, I'm _not _a daedra".

Madoka digested this, "...Even if what you say is true, why are you doing this? Witches are corrupted souls! People weren't meant to be twisted and ripped open like that!"

"It's torture, pure and simple" Sayaka added with heavy disgust, recalling her own scattered memories of witch-hood. Mami and Kyoko were likewise somber, unhappy memories coming to them as well.

Akari scoffed, "Well duh, witches were a byproduct of Incubator science. They only cared about energy production, not the souls themselves. But they stumbled onto what elements of the Thalmor have been looking for this whole time; a way to undo Lorkhan's prison and return all the sub-gradients to their greater whole so they can end this charade we call mortality. The Thalmor told me everything; showed me the truth" she flashed Madoka a smile, "You're out of a job, little girl! There's not going to be any need for a 'Law of Cycles', because I'm going to lead everyone to everlasting perfection!"

Everyone looked at her, shocked and aghast. Mami was the first to find her voice through the horror, "You...you'll just end everyone's existence, just like that? Without their consent?! How many are you going to torture until you're pleased with the results!?"

"You're just...carrying them around. Like trophies" Sayaka spat, "They're suffering in there, their own psyches turned against themselves, and you think that's somehow _good?!_"

Akari shrugged, "Eh. Science takes time and test cases. Yeah, it's a little slapdash; trying to unbind souls is kind of like trying to un-burn wood. Imagine a witch as sort of like a sapling tree you just transplanted; the roots are all traumatized and the tree might die, but if the tree survives it'll grow big and strong. We're close to a breakthrough. We're going to _end _suffering, forever, and none of this will have ever happened to begin with because time will no longer be important. Mortality, causality, all of it was a mistake. There will be no limitations, no divisions, no definitions" she glanced at Madoka again, "You had the power to fix this without all the busywork we're having to go through, but instead you decided to uphold the system".

"...Holy crap, you're nuttier than a granola bar" Kyoko breathed after a moment of dead silence with baffled disgust, "You want a world full of nothing but _witches_?"

"This is..." Madoka shook her head in dismay, "This is _monstrous. _No matter your intentions, I'm sorry. I can't allow this to continue".

"You would still prefer your imperfect, pointless world of suffering and death?" Akari asked.

"...It's not pointless" Madoka said and took a step forward, "It's the opposite. Life is about choice and freedom. It's about figuring out who you are and becoming more than you were before. It's about growth. Witches can't do that. They can only do as their nature commands, self-defeating and self-cursing over and over with little to no remaining self-awareness".

Akari snorted, "Hearing you talk about freedom sure is rich. You and Akemi, your methods might be different, but in the end the result is the same. We're still trapped and limited as mortals, forced to define ourselves by what we are not, instead of what _Is!_ You don't embrace possibility, you deny it!" Akari declared. When Madoka didn't budge she shook her head, "The Thalmor were right; you're just another Lorkhan or Talos. You don't try to break the system, you just reinforce it for your own benefit" Akari stood tall, her voice commanding as she placed her halberd upright, "Madoka Kaname, will you or will you not submit to the authority of the Thalmor and the Aldmeri Dominion obediently and without question?"

Everyone tensed. Madoka gripped her bow tight, preparing for what she knew came next, "...You know the answer to that. I'm sorry".

A laugh, "I was hoping you'd say that!"

Both sides _moved._ Akari opened up with another barrage from her halberd at Madoka, only to be forced to evade Kyoko's incoming strike from the side. The battle was chaotic, yet somehow Akari managed to remain one step ahead of everyone; cleanly spinning out of the way of an electrical spell from Mami while also taking care to dodge Madoka's aedric arrows, before launching a counterstrike. Madoka rolled out of the way, while Akari fended off first Sayaka and then Kyoko in succession.

Akari's feet suddenly found themselves encased in ice courtesy of Sayaka, and as she was currently engaged in battle against Kyoko was an easy target for Mami's spin kick. Akari went flying, but ceased her backward movement after righting herself and planting her feet into the dirt. Emerging from her half-crouch as she straight up effortlessly tanked another volley from Madoka, she took her halberd, pulled a small yellow crystal out of its front and replaced it with an orange one, and then slammed it into the ground as magic sprouted forth, just in time to block Mami's chain whip. Immediately, the ash around her began to circle and boil, rising up as a localized windstorm that prevented any of the girls' ranged attacks from getting through.

To the quartet's surprise, two fully-formed ash spawn rushed out of the ash wall, their eyes glowing hellish red as their swords came down on Mami and Sayaka respectively. Akari shot out of her fading ash barrier, bee-lining it for Madoka, who only got off one shot before being forced to block Akari's halberd with her bow. She dodged a few blows, before allowing Akari's weapon to do her work for her, letting it lift her up into the air and over. Madoka flipped over her opponent, gently landing behind her and as Akari turned around hit her with a light spell, momentarily blinding Akari.

Kyoko came in hard and fast. It was only due to Akari's hearing that she expected the attack.

"...Think I was just gonna forget that crack you made earlier?!" Kyoko exclaimed as their spear and halberd clashed.

Akari brushed off the remains of Madoka's blinding spell as she grinned, placing the yellow crystal back in its spot on her weapon, "Kyoko Sakura".

"That's my name, don't wear it out!"

Madoka almost followed as the two began their dance, but saw Mami and Sayaka still under attack from the minions Akari had created, and instead decided the better course of action would be to reunite her team first.

Kyoko and Akari danced, weaving between the pillars of the ruins as Kyoko took the fight to the new girl. Akari let her dictate the battle, mostly operating defensively as the redhead continued to charge forward.

"Fourteen years old. Highly proficient with a spear, unable to perform illusion-type magic. Tends to attack aggressively, preferring to outpace her opponents and keep them boxed in and unable to counterattack".

Kyoko growled, "What the hell are you-" her spear shot through thin air where Akari had just been, "What-"

Kyoko turned; far too late. The butt of Akari's halberd smashed into the side of her face as she mocked her, "You leave yourself open and if anyone bypasses your offense by flanking, you have few answers for them!" Kyoko attempted to rebound, but another well-placed hit removed her spear from her hand and was still reeling when a third blow to her diaphragm sucked the air out of her lungs. "Bit of a glass cannon, if you ask me".

Kyoko, pissed the fuck off, finally managed to knock the halberd aside, "Oh, you wanna see a cannon!?" her hands charged up with fire, and locking them together sent a wave of flame right in Akari's face.

...Or where her face should have been.

Kyoko was enraged, "You cheap motherf-" Akari's halberd slammed into the back of Kyoko's knee. Kyoko fell to the ground with a cry of pain, rolling away from the next hit. She had to get some space. She _needed _space.

"You think you're so cool, but we both know deep down you're just an overgrown child with an eating disorder having a perpetual tantrum".

Kyoko ducked around a pillar to avoid Akari's swing, rolling back to pick up her spear.

"You'd think you'd have learned some lessons after you murdered your whole family. Poor ol' dad".

Kyoko swung around, finding no one in the dilapidated maze of pillars and arches she stood within. She only saw red, "When I find you, _I'm gonna-_"

"No wonder the blue one's angry at you, considering you pulled the exact same stunt on her without even a hint of irony" Akari chuckled, standing a short distance back. Kyoko paused. No. No no no. She'd learned her lesson. She never used magic selflessly anymore. It wasn't the same thing, it wasn't the same _god damned—_ "...How long do you think it'll be before you find _her _hanging from the rafters?"

The image caught Kyoko's breath, and then she charged in screaming as all pretense of composure was lost.

Akari laughed as Kyoko clumsily swung in, "Then again, you bullied her and pushed her into suicide in _how _many timelines? It's amazing she didn't break up with you sooner!" She locked Kyoko's spear in the curved portion of her halberd's blade, trapping the redhead as she leaned in close, "Do you think Momo would have hated what her big sister became?" That momentary lapse, that split-second wavering. It was all she needed. Akari jumped into the air, letting her enhanced strength to send both of them above the arches and pillars before launching Kyoko away with a kick. Kyoko glanced off one of the archways almost like a rock skipping on water and landed in the main clearing in a heap.

Akari flew towards her, but at the last second Mami's chain whip wrapped itself around the girl's torso mid-flight and sent her flying into one of the other ruined domed buildings.

"Kyoko, are you alright?!" Mami asked urgently as Madoka and Sayaka ran after Akari now that the ash spawn had been dealt with.

Kyoko grunted. She was bruised and bloody, and...okay, she was pretty sure her left shoulder was dislocated, "...I'm fine. I'll catch up".

Mami gave her a worried look, but continued on ahead regardless.

"Mami" Kyoko said warningly. Mami stopped for a second, "We under-prepared for this; she wasn't doing much more than toying with me. Watch your six". Her former mentor nodded before continuing on.

Now with a second to tend to her wounded body and pride, Kyoko took a deep calming breath in preparation and, for not the first time in her life, snapped her arm back into place. She whimpered in pain a bit from the action, and not at all from the words that had been said. Not at all.

She was going to make Akari _bleed._

The battle in the ruined building meanwhile had become a running engagement. Sayaka and Madoka couldn't keep up with Akari's teleporting ability; each time they closed in she'd move further back. They raced across the half-ruined stone rafters holding the top of the building up, ice and light spells dancing against Akari's golden halberd magic, each crashing into each other and against the decaying walls. Sayaka came down on Akari with her swords, but met only brittle volcanic stone, which quickly gave way on impact. The resulting cascade caused a good chunk of the building to collapse on itself, leaving Sayaka to try and get out of the way while Madoka and soon Mami chased Akari past the building and across a lava stream.

"She's spamming her teleporting abilities!" Madoka informed Mami, "We can't pin her down!"

"Oh, I have many tricks the Thalmor gave me!" Akari said with glee as she at last allowed battle, her halberd fending off both girls' attacks, "You wouldn't believe what kind of shiny toys they've got up in their R&D! Like this armor of mine!"

Madoka unleashed a storm of Aedric light arrows on Akari. She took them straight on, letting the magic pelt her harmlessly. She laughed, "Not a scorch mark on me, princess. Magic just rolls right off. And this halberd? Most objects can only sustain one or two enchantments. But this baby has _dozen__s_. Let me show you what it can do!" Akari pulled the small yellow crystal out of the front of the halberd, just under the blades, and replaced it now with a red one. The weapon crackled with crimson energy.

"...We need to get that staff away from her!" Mami exclaimed.

Akari readied her attack, "You can try!" Slamming her halberd into the ash, she allowed a wave of energy to surge forth, knocking both Mami and Madoka off their feet. Madoka's body impacted the rock wall and she let out a squeal of pain as crimson energy snaked across her, pinning her.

"No!" Mami grabbed her staff off her back and aimed at Akari. With glee the other girl did the same with her halberd, and both let off powerful magical attacks; Mami's electricity clashing against Akari's crimson magic.

"Mami Tomoe!" Akari laughed, "Fifteen years old. Tends to use wide, sweeping attacks in conjunction with precision strikes that overwhelm the enemy. Highly skilled and talented, but can easily be set off-balance and distracted. Bit of a glory hog".

Mami's glare deepened at the slight as their duel continued, "...You seem to know a lot about us".

"Oh, I do! I know how you wished to save yourself. I know how you left your parents to die" Akari watched Mami's expression shift and her resolve waver ever so slightly. _Excellent._ "But that's par for the course, yeah? That streak of enlightened selfishness?"

Mami refused to exchange words with Akari any further; doing so would only give the girl more fodder to distract her with. She wouldn't give in to the enemy's taunts. Besides, something else was drawing her attention well enough. She was struggling more and more against Akari's energy beam as the battle dragged on. Why did it feel like her staff was losing power?

Akari continued regardless of Mami's lack of response, "Silence? I must have struck a nerve! You're definitely charismatic, why else would these girls follow you after what you did to them? Just willingly throwing them into the meat grinder over and over just because you were so god-damned _needy_!"

All those timelines. All these times where she'd willingly brought Sayaka and Madoka and even Homura in on what she knew would end in their deaths instead of warning them away. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. _Shut up shut up shut up-_

Mami pushed harder and harder, letting out a roar of pained raged and desperation as she tried to squeeze out the last few drops of her staff's power.

It wasn't enough.

Mami's beam evaporated, and Akari's attack knocked her back and down on her knees. Akari came down on her, while Mami brought up her staff in a last-ditch defense.

The halberd easily cleaved it in two; the last bits of magic pouring out and evaporating. Akari kicked Mami back, "Aw, looks like somebody wasn't recharging their staff with filled soul gems. Did you forget to do that since your little helper got sick of you and wasn't getting her hands dirty anymore?"

...Little helper…? Oh. Oh _no._ It finally clicked for Mami; why her staff had been continually recharged during their tour of Skyrim, and why it had stopped shortly before arriving in Morrowind.

Nagisa. Nagisa had been filling soul gems for her behind her back. Oh god.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Akari continued, walking up to Mami as the latter forced herself to her feet, drained by the beam-o-war. She pulled out her chain whip and struck. "You tell them sweet nothings, and then they kill themselves for you. Or you just kill them yourself when you snap, same diff, right? And you _always _snap, eventually" Mami's chain wrapped itself around Akari's halberd, "Or they leave just the same when they realize what a fraud you are". Instead of pulling the halberd out of her hands, red energy snaked down the chain to Mami and promptly began to electrocute her. Mami screamed out in agonizing pain, unable to let go.

Akari laughed, "You pretend to be so cool and dignified, but really like eighty percent of _all _of this is your fault, just because you were so damned clingy and lonely". She pulled, ripping Mami from her spot on the ground and sending her flying into her grip. "You're not even really the leader anymore, are you? You're just kind of a hanger-on. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, as they say". She tossed Mami aside into the dirt behind her where Kyoko was now arriving.

"Mami!" Kyoko shouted in alarm at her one-time mentor's downed state. As she crouched next to her, she saw bits of red energy still running across her body as she twitched and whimpered.

"...Couldn't just lay down and die" Akari muttered. Kyoko looked up in rage. Akari smirked and pulled the red crystal out of her halberd, replacing it with a blue one. Madoka was finally let free of her crimson binds and fell to the ground, just as Sayaka finally arrived by her side, a bit worse for wear from surviving a building falling on top of her.

Sayaka grimaced as she looked over at where Mami, their strongest fighter, was clearly down for the count, and Kyoko didn't look much better than she herself felt. This was _bad_, "...How the hell is she this powerful?" she asked as she helped an unsteady Madoka to her feet.

"...She's not" Madoka said in realization, "She knows how to counter our fighting styles and somehow knows a lot about us, but everything else is her armor and halberd. I...I don't think I've seen her throw single spell of her own this entire fight". Most of her attacks and abilities had been built around dividing them up and targeting a single person, like she had been custom designed to counter them as a team. Someone, somewhere had a _lot _of intel on them.

"So we need to get past her toys. I don't suppose you got one of those Madoka-patented last ditch plans?" Sayaka worriedly asked Madoka.

Madoka thought for a moment. Her ranged attacks weren't going to do much; arrows weren't much use against plated mithril, and the armor's enchantments meant her light arrows were going to be even less help. But she had other magic, and if she could get in close…

"Yeah, I think I might. I need you and Kyoko to cover me".

Sayaka's eyes met with Kyoko's, and the two nodded in unspoken agreement.

"If you're all quite done with your little group huddle, I'd really like to get back to stomping your faces in the dirt" Akari stated, noting that Sayaka and Kyoko were now a little less eager to jump into the fray than usual.

Madoka started the next round, charging up an aedric arrow barrage and letting the shards of pure aetheric magic come down on Akari harmlessly. The older girl laughed at the pitiful attempt, as Kyoko and Sayaka moved in from opposite sides, still very much in synch with one another despite everything.

Akari's halberd promptly multiplied. Two, four, eight, sixteen. A storm of blades came down on the girls, forcing them to dodge and evade instead of being able to go for Akari directly. Madoka leaped away, sniping each halberd in turn with her aedric arrows, only for more to keep appearing. Sayaka rolled forward just before several struck the ground where she'd been, with the intent of getting in close while Akari fended off Kyoko.

Madoka rounded the fight, continuing to pick off halberds while she looked for a weak spot. Akari knocked Kyoko aside and then turned on Sayaka, pinning the girl down and allowing her flying halberds to strike her from the side.

There!

Madoka leaped up and came down on Akari from behind, her hand lit up with a spell, reaching for the girl's neck-

Akari grabbed Madoka's wrist tightly, just before she reached her. She twisted Madoka's arm, causing her to grunt in pain. "A sleeping spell?" Akari grinned, "Sorry, but you're never going to put me back into your eternal slumber ever again. I'm _free_, and your authority is no longer recognized!" She pulled Madoka by her arm, swinging her around in a wide arc as Kyoko came back in for another attack. The two girls rammed into each other and were sent hurdling back.

"Madoka!" Sayaka called out, still splayed out as the other two tumbled away. She struggled to get back on her feet; the unexpected halberd assault had left her body feeling rather like jello.

Akari turned her attention on Sayaka, who recognized this and promptly aimed her swords. Akari let the others deal with the halberd swarm while she casually closed the distance with her prey, "Sayaka Miki. Fourteen years old. Defense oriented. Heavy on tanking and healing with close-quarters offensive ability. Weaknesses include...well, most things, actually. But let's start with crippling self-doubt and overwhelming hubris" Akari swung in, her halberd clashing against Sayaka's swords, "Bit of a loser. Works best when supported by someone else. Too bad you broke up with your ex then, huh?"

"Shut _up!_" Sayaka growled as she tried to find an opening. It was almost like Akari was just toying with her; telegraphing openings in her fighting style only to reveal they were traps.

"Nice comeback. How _did _such a mediocre girl fall into a group of people so much more obviously talented than you? Not even your parents thought all that much of you, did they? I mean, on the rare occasion they were even home".

"How...how the hell do you know all this!?" Sayaka hissed, unable to accurately process the string of insults thrown at her while also fighting for her life. Madoka had implied she'd gone after the others similarly, which meant she knew things she shouldn't have. Private things. As far as Sayaka knew, Akari was never granted the memory of the Law of Cycles like she and Nagisa had been. Why would she? She was part of the secondary rescue party, not one of Madoka's data backups. Everything about this was unnerving.

Akari's smile turned exceedingly dark and predatory as she locked hers and Sayaka's weapons and pushed forward, "Sorry, was that private? I guess you should have kept a better lock on your _dreams_".

Sayaka gasped, her eyes widening in horror as her resolve faltered. Akari took advantage and pressed her attack, "Hah, you should see the look on your face! That's right blueberry, you were quite the treasure trove of secrets! Oh, Vaermina skimmed the others of course, you wouldn't get a full picture otherwise, but you were _by far _the easiest to dive into, and we got so much dirt on all your friends through _your _memories. A fractured connection to your host goddess, a weak will and battered self-worth, you didn't stand a chance. We were afraid Vaermina was overdoing it and you'd figure it out, but you're such a dumb shit you just let her keep coming for _weeks_!"

"I—you-" Sayaka's head was spinning at the sudden revelation. She was now purely on the defensive, just trying to stay one step ahead of her opponent's blades.

"You're funny in a sad sort of way, you know that? Couldn't get the boy, couldn't save the goddess, couldn't even get your happy ending. You pretend to be strong even though deep down you know you have no worth to anyone and the only reason they put up with you is out of pity—which you repay by lashing out and making life harder for them. What a good friend!"

Sayaka lost one of her swords; it was knocked clean out of her hands. "How many times did they die for you? How many timelines did you personally screw up with your play-acting? And you somehow thought you _deserved _to be god's right hand?" With a fist of magical power Akari knocked her flat on her ass. "You're nothing but a child with a bad case of eighth grader syndrome" a blast of magic sent Sayaka rolling up against the rock wall, "You're right in one respect at least; you were probably better off dead".

Sayaka pulled herself back up "...Shut up" she growled impotently, her voice shaking. Sayaka knew the girl was right, but she had just enough pride locked away deep inside her that she didn't want to hear it from _this _asshole. She needed to keep herself together, she couldn't afford to implode right now. Come on; keep it together, for once in her miserable life.

"Are you going to make me?" Akari cooed, "Come on, I'm right here! Be the hero you kept saying you were and slay the bad guy!"

Sayaka almost charged in. She almost went in head-first with the intent of just...what? Saving the day? Kicking the shit out of this asshole? Making the insults stop? Getting even?

It was a trap. It was always a trap. Akari was just goading her into acting rashly, and like every other situation she'd ever found herself in, she was about to spring the trap and get her shit kicked in once more. But if she didn't attack, she'd be equally open. The others were elsewhere, they couldn't back her up. Sayaka seized up, her indecision a mixture of trauma-fueled panic, self-loathing, and doubt. Which was the right move? Which was the mistake? She couldn't even trust herself without the Law of Cycles.

And that split second was all Akari needed. The next thing Sayaka knew, she'd lost her remaining sword, and the next thing after that her body was impacting the rock wall behind her and then falling to her hands and knees.

"Oh-ho, what was _that_?" Akari's voice was dripping with amusement, "The others at least had some fight in them; don't tell me you're _that _broken!" a beat, "Well, no helping it I guess. Guess I'll kill you first and get some cheap drama out of the others. Fitting, yeah?"

Sayaka was still getting up when Akari lunged at her with her halberd, ready to strike her down. Sayaka just closed her eyes and braced for the end. At least the end would be quick this time.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

The end never came. There was a flash of red, and as Sayaka looked up her face contorted into horror when she saw Akari's blade still aimed at her...but also piercing through Kyoko's flesh and armor and out her backside. Kyoko had attempted to intervene, but her spear had missed Akari's halberd.

"And first blood goes to Kyoko!" Akari was positively ecstatic at the sudden turn of events, "Once again committing suicide for the girl she...pushed into suicide!" she grinned at a shocked Sayaka, "Aw, look at what you made her do, Sayaka! One more fuck up for the road?"

Sayaka's face paled as blood stained the backside of Kyoko's armor. No. No no no no no no no.

Akari ripped the weapon out of Kyoko's abdomen as the redhead stumbled back, "Might wanna get that hole looked at; looks pretty bad. I mean, I know you had a reputation for a bottomless stomach, but..."

"...Bitch..." Kyoko managed to spit out with a bit of blood as her strength failed her. She fell, first to her knees and then backwards and ontop of Sayaka who caught her.

"No..."

Akari shrugged, "Yeah. Guess I am. Time to die". She swung her halberd down, intending to slice Kyoko's head right off.

"NO!" Sayaka moved, pushing past Kyoko and grabbing Akari's weapon by the pole.

Akari laughed as Sayaka struggled against her weapon, "Look at the wannabe hero squirm! I thought you two broke up!" She struck a quick succession of blows at Sayaka and the girl fell away.

And that was when two of the magically replicated halberds came down on Akari, wielded by none other than Mami Tomoe. She was burnt and tattered, her hairbun all but gone as her wild hair blew in the heated breeze and her eyes wide and wild. Her captured halberds locked down Akari's.

"GO!" she commanded Sayaka, her voice rough and hoarse.

"But-"

"I said GO! I'll handle this; get Kyoko to safety!"

Sayaka made no further protests; she was in no position to argue, and Kyoko was losing a _lot_ of blood. She picked Kyoko up and began to run.

"Sor...didn't mean..." Kyoko choked, clearly going into shock.

"No, no, no. Shut up!" Sayaka whispered, trying her best to keep from losing it completely, "You're not going to talk like that. You don't _get _to talk like that. I'm _way _too angry at you for you to die on me!"

Akari smirked, taking the blue crystal out of her halberd. Mami's stolen weapons melted away unexpectedly, allowing Akari to swing at her and knock her aside. Akari then grabbed the yellow crystal and placed it in the slot. She spun around at where Sayaka was, aimed, and let out a wave of yellow energy. The wave struck Sayaka's lower legs dead on, and both girls tumbled and fell.

"I thought heroes don't run from fights?" Akari called. Sayaka tried to grab Kyoko and stand back up, but found her legs now too injured to support her own weight and promptly collapsed. Weakly, she began to drag both herself and Kyoko over to a nearby alcove of ruins, ignoring the pain as best she could. Getting Kyoko back to Redaar's forces was out of the question now, but Sayaka still had some healing spells. She only hoped they'd be enough to keep Kyoko stable.

Mami _roared_, rushing Akari with her crossbow before drawing her sidearm short sword.

Akari easily dodged Mami's increasingly clumsy swipes; she was very clearly on her last legs, "Aw, what's wrong, mom? Did I hurt your kids?" Taking Mami down one last time wasn't hard; Akari simply let her wear herself out, and then launched a few well-placed strikes of her own. "You're resilient, I'll give you that; any lesser person wouldn't have gotten back up after all that. But you need to learn. To stay. DOWN". With a solid blow to the stomach Mami felt the air leave her lungs, and a blow to the side of the head finally took her down.

Akari circled her, "I can't believe you shits actually fell for this! Yeah, rush into the enemy's highly prepared stronghold when she's very obviously leaving you a trail of breadcrumbs. Don't even bother to check for traps, or scout ahead or wait to see if the army you came with could figure out a solution...just run in without backup like a bunch of lemmings. No enchanted gear, only base spells and weapons...good lord. Such stunning heroes". She shook her head and called out, "Your guardians are all dispatched, Madoka Kaname! Come on out so we can end this". She turned, and with a smile saw Madoka standing there with a limp and her hand clutching her side.

"...Please stop" Madoka pleaded, heartbroken at the scene before her, "Just stop".

Akari casually strolled towards her, "Madoka Kaname. Fourteen years old...sorta. Not really. Fourteen going on infinity? Eh. Ranged fighter, good at evasion, sniping, and out-of-the-box thinking. Kinda shit at just about everything else. Par for god, I guess. Though you're really the only one in your group who isn't secretly afraid of her own shadow, so I guess I'll give you that" she paused, thinking, "Is that why you surround yourself with these lost souls? So you can feel better about yourself?"

Madoka said nothing, but her expression turned into a bit of a glare. This fight was over; she knew that. There was no hope of conventional victory as things stood. So naturally, Madoka's mind was already shifting over to last-last-ditch plans. Like her mom told her; always have a contingency on hand. Akari had had ample opportunity to kill her but hadn't; that meant she either wanted something, or wanted to draw this out. All the better.

She _also _knew from Kyoko that Homura had been tracking her and was likely nearby. They'd been fighting Akari for awhile, so one would assume Homura was closing in by now. Madoka just had to keep Akari talking, keep her occupied, hope to heaven that Homura would come in time to provide cover while they pulled out, and that Sayaka could keep Kyoko alive.

A tall order, but it was the best she could manage. She just needed to keep Akari talking.

"Ah" Akari surmised thoughtfully, "So a bit of god is still in there after all. I can tell by the way you look at me; there's steel behind the tears".

"You're wrong, you know" Madoka said, "About my friends. They're good people. Amazing people; all of them. They're kind and so full of life, and I wouldn't be anything without them. They've made mistakes, yes, and they've suffered...but they get back up every time, and they don't deserve what you've done to them here. You're wrong about the world too. It's imperfect, but...I think that's the point. You can't grow or change if everything is already perfect and undefined. Art, philosophy, scientific progress. Curiosity, creativity, the urge to be better—none of that exists in the world you want to create. You couldn't be warmed by a fire on a cold day, or enjoy laughing at an embarrassing mistake after the fact" Madoka shook her head, "You've been saying all these horrible things to try and break us, but the truth is, the world has good in it, and these people—my friends, are worth a lot too. Please, stop this. I'm sorry about what happened. I am. I know that means little, but I'm trying my best to undo it. Please. We can talk this out. We can fix this, together".

Akari's expression was impassive, "...Was that hollow attempt at an anime speech supposed to convince me of anything?"

Madoka sighed, "...I'd like to think it could. But I'm saying it simply because it's true, regardless of what you think" she locked eyes with Akari, "And you're still wrong".

Akari's response was muted, simply a smirk. Then she vanished from Madoka's eyes. Madoka spun around, knowing that Akari could come from any direction. But her body was injured and exhausted at this point, and alone she knew she didn't really have a chance. Akari smashed into her from the side, then teleported and did it again. And again. And again. Madoka managed to get off a few shots, but none hit home, and she knew even if they did they likely wouldn't bypass Akari's armor.

The next hit removed Madoka's bow from her grasp. She then drew her short sword, but by then it only took another two hits to send her to the ground, her sword falling from her hand. Akari aimed her halberd at Madoka with the intent of striking her after replacing the yellow crystal with the red one.

Instead, the weapon sparked and sputtered. Akari moved it away from her face with annoyance, "...Overloaded it again" she grunted in irritation, hitting the crystal a few times until the weapon began to work again. Madoka took note of this, even as she reached for her sword while Akari was distracted.

Was Akari not as invincible as she seemed?

With a snarl Akari brought her boot came down hard on Madoka's outstretched wrist, eliciting another cry of pain.

"The wheels are already in motion. I cannot stop what is coming any more than you can, nor would I want to. I'm about to give the world what you never could: unrestrained freedom, where we are not trapped by incompleteness, or need or want. We're going back to the Dawn Era, before Convention, before there were rules". Akari knelt down, her foot still pinning Madoka's arm, "You know what you are? You're a god of lies. You tell people to 'hope', that if they just wish hard enough, things might turn out alright, even as they're already fundamentally flawed and trapped in a system, in a mortal world where the only thing that awaits them is death. You fool them into thinking this world of suffering is just and good. And they _thank_ you for it! Well, now everyone is dead. You killed them. You and your demon friend". Akari stood up, kicking away Madoka's sword as she put her halberd away in its spot on her back—there was no further need for it. She then kicked Madoka right in the gut for good measure. Madoka grunted as she rolled over on the ground.

Guilt surfaced at Akari's words. Madoka had presided over the worst wholesale slaughter of people in all of creation. She was a monster. But she was also trying to _fix _that, and everything else Akari said made no sense at all.

Sayaka and Madoka shared a brief glance; Madoka could see the girl's stricken look, torn between what was happening to Madoka, Kyoko's status, being unable to even stand, and _everything. _Madoka gave her a subtle smile and wink even with the pain in an attempt to reassure her. She had a plan. As long as Akari was focused on her and not on the other more wounded girls...

Madoka managed to get to her hands and knees while Akari circled her like a predator. Madoka spoke, "I don't understand. Why would you want to be a witch?! Why do you keep talking about the Dawn, or Lorkhan? What are the Thalmor planning?!" Good, yes. Keep her talking. If the situation wasn't so dire, Madoka was certain she and Sayaka would be busting up laughing at the thought of undoing the villain by making them monologue.

And boy, did Akari start up a monologue.

Akari stopped pacing and stood in front of Madoka, her back turned as she watched the lava bubble and flow, "...I was a quiet girl. Unsure, afraid, a bit of a wallflower. My parents moved often, so I was never really able to make friends. I was lonely and shy, desperate for companionship and an easy target for bullies" she chuckled emptily, "_Always _a favorite for bullies. Day in and day out. Awkward new girl who can hardly speak up and is obviously poor? It was like blood in the water" she turned to Madoka, "Then one day I was visited by Kyubey. I thought about my wish for a long, long time. Finally though, I decided; I wanted to understand people, so that I could make friends more easily and turn the tables on the bullies. And just like that, suddenly I could read people with a _snap"_ she snapped her finger, just to make the point clear.

Akari's voice became more energetic, "Overnight everything turned around! I rose through the ranks, made alliances, isolated and divided my enemies. I made to the top of the food chain, and then one day I saw it in their eyes: everyone else was _afraid _of me".

"...And you became a witch" Madoka frowned in sympathy as Akari resumed her pacing, connecting the dots in her head. A classic case.

"Nah, actually" Akari replied, surprising Madoka with her slight chuckle, "It was upsetting at first, but I ended up kinda enjoying it. No, no. I got careless. Ended up in a labyrinth where a second witch was in the process of being absorbed. Never saw it coming. Of course, that never happened in your 'Brave New World'. There I lasted six months longer, and used up all my magic in battle against a wraith swarm. Then you came for me".

Akari launched another kick into Madoka's side. As she collapsed in the dirt, Akari knelt down next to her and pulled her head up to look at her by her hair, "Do you remember what you said to me when you came for me?" Madoka's look of confusion and pain made Akari tsk in irritation, "Of course you don't, it was just another Tuesday for you, wasn't it?" she tightened her grip, and Madoka grasped her hand with one of her own, grunting in pain, "I asked you if my family was going to be okay. My mom, my dad, my little sister, my big brother. I asked you to your face if they'd be okay without me. You told me, you _swore _to me they'd be fine. You even let me look! You showed me their futures, how they'd move on without me. Dad would die at seventy-eight from cancer. Mom wouldn't last long without him. My brother, Koji, would be stuck as a corporate drone his entire life, never able to be the artist he'd dreamed of. Hikari, my sister, would divorce at the age of thirty-five. And I would settle in for an eternal slumber with no end or purpose. Death by another name".

Akari pulled Madoka to her feet by her hair, seemingly reveling in the girl's pain, "But it was okay, because that's life, right? That's just how it is, and at least they would survive for a time. That's the best I could _hope _for" her face contorted into a snarl, "Except it's not, because they're all dead now". She let go of Madoka and gave the girl a solid punch. Madoka attempted to block, but she'd never been great at melee, and in her current state she could do little as Akari let loose on her, "I fought for you and your shit cause! I _bled _for you!" Madoka was knocked back down after a knee to the chest, "I lay there in a pool of my own blood while you and your girlfriend self-destructed reality! No 'hope', no future, no nothing!" Another kick.

Madoka grunted in pain, crawling into a half-ball as she winced at her injuries.

Akari calmed herself by exhaling, "...I woke up on the island of Auridon. The Altmer locals quickly handed me over to the Thalmor" she laughed as she looked up at the dark, volcanic sky, "...And they opened my eyes".

* * *

"Anything?" Redaar asked his mages.

The head battlemage shook his head with a sigh while the others continued to work on the barrier, probing its defenses, "No. The tonal frequency could be quite literally anything. It's a needle in a haystack scenario, except the haystack is the size of Vvardenfell, and it's too dark to see anything".

A new, female voice sounded behind them, "Where is she?"

Redaar turned in surprise to see two more Akaviri kids, one about the same age as Madoka's group and with raven-black hair, the other little more than a child with white. He stepped forward, "...If you mean Madoka Kaname, then she's atop the mountain. Went up there some time ago, and we haven't heard from her since".

Homura grit her teeth at the sight of these peons sitting around doing squat while they'd apparently let Madoka do what she wanted without backup. Useless people, always so damn useless! "You let her go up there alone?! I thought you were escorting her!" She'd followed them into the mountain's caves, but as she'd needed to be far enough away to prevent being seen, Homura and Nagisa had gotten lost in the maze of tunnels. Thankfully, it seemed their path had re-converged before the summit, but she had lost valuable time bumbling about and who knew what was happening up there!

"We couldn't follow with the barrier; it only allowed her and her friends, and she insisted" Redaar explained. Homura's eyes shot open, realizing that Madoka had walked head-first right into a trap and she wasn't up there _right now _to bail her out, "You might be able to th-"

"Useless. Nagisa, with me!" Homura called urgently, ignoring Redaar's continued existence as she and her companion raced past the Ebonheart militia—only taking the barest of seconds to make sure she wouldn't just slam into the barrier, before resuming her charge up the mountain and leaving a fairly bewildered Redaar behind.

She was going to kill whoever was behind this.

Please, let her not be too late.

* * *

Akari explained, a bit more reverent in her tone than the first time she'd talked about cosmology. She recited what the Thalmor had taught her, "In the beginning there were the Et'Ada. One of these concepts named Lorkhan wished to create something different from the perfect, everlasting realms of his peers. So he convinced and bribed the others to help him construct the world. But Lorkhan, the great demon, he who was begotten from Sithis, the void, who represented limits and barriers, lied; and soon his victims began to realize what had happened; their essence was sapped away, their infinite nature was made finite, their Is was made Is Not—forced to define themselves by how they were separate from others. They were bound to this plane, imprisoned as shades of their former selves. Some managed to escape partially intact; Magnus, and his children who formed the sun and stars as they fled. Others found alternate methods to partially re-ascend and bind themselves to the world. But most simply perished; becoming the earth bones that make up the laws and physical elements of the world; more laws and restrictions from perfection: you can't do this, you can't be that. And still others became so weak that the only way to survive was to procreate, and in turn make even lesser selves. A war was fought, between Lorkhan and Auri-El, the would-be king. Lorkhan was defeated, his heart ripped from his chest, but the damage was done. And so the world as we know it began; a prison full of broken gods, a pit of corpses. Some deluded themselves and began to see their limitations as a good thing; they became men and diminished further. Others refused to forget what they had once been, and became mer, the elves".

Akari turned back to Madoka as she ended her reciting. The latter remained silent and had managed to get herself into semi-sitting position as Akari added, "You know, I've kinda wondered how our world fits into the cosmology of the Aurbis. Did we come from a different kalpa, a past or future iteration of the Mundus? Did someone decide to copy Lorkhan's homework elsewhere in Oblivion? A parallel dream? Something similar must have happened there as here; there's too many coincidences" she eyed Madoka, "Right down to having someone ascend to re-affirm Lorkhan's will. Just as Talos reinforces the wheel here in the Mundus, you reinforced the cycle in our own universe. Just as Talos seeks to keep the prison of imperfection and suffering running, so you closed down any avenues of escape".

"...Witchhood isn't a form of escape" Madoka said pleadingly. Kyoko was right, this girl was _nuts,_ and some of what she said Madoka couldn't even parse, "You need to understand that! This paradise you're trying to make, where nothing is defined and there are no divisions...it's not freedom! It's _death_. You're just trying to create entropy by another name! You have to see that! I'm sorry about what happened, I really am. And if I could just get the Thalmor's help-"

Akari cut her off, "If you were sorry, you'd have given in when I told you to at the start of the fight. You're not sorry, but don't worry. I'll _make _you sorry" she turned to the trio of wounded girls with a sinister grin as she grabbed her halberd once more, switching back to her yellow crystal. Golden energy laced the blade, "...Which of your minions would you like me to kill first?"

Madoka's breath caught in her throat as panic flooded in, "W-what? No, please don't! It's me you want, right? They don't deserve this! They didn't do anything!"

"My family is dead. They didn't do anything to deserve it either. Life is defined by endless suffering; I told you this and you argued with me. Consider this a practical demonstration. Bad things _happen_". She aimed at Sayaka, who had been more concerned about Kyoko stable than Akari's mad ramblings now that she'd stopped hitting Madoka, and was now only just noticing the danger as the golden energy charged up.

"NO!" Madoka shouted, lunging forward. She grabbed the pole of the weapon just as it shot off, the energy impacting the far rock wall harmlessly. With a predatory grin, Akari knocked Madoka away. Before she could cut her down however, Madoka summoned up her remaining strength and threw herself at the taller girl with a flurry of ineffective but desperate physical blows. Akari was forced to drop her halberd so she could deal with the girl, but very quickly the battle turned into a one-sided affair.

"MADOKA!" Sayaka shouted with impotent heartbreak as Akari smashed Madoka's face into a stone pillar by her neck. Sayaka tried to stand up, to do anything to help her friend, but her leg was just too injured, and the second she let go of Kyoko the other girl began to slip from life once more. She couldn't do anything to help her.

Useless.

"Still have some fight in you, huh?!" Akari laughed, slamming Madoka into the pillar once more, "...So what exactly were you hoping to accomplish with that little stunt, hmm?"

Madoka looked at her, her face bleeding, her left eye rapidly blackening—but then there was brightness in her eyes as she saw a ripple move behind Akari. Yes! She managed a smile, "...I was buying time".

Akari very quickly moved from confusion to surprise as she realized she'd been had. An arrow notched behind her and a grin crossed her face, "...Clever girl".

Homura stood right behind her with her bow trained on the back of her head, her invisibility spell vanishing, "Let. Her. Go".

Akari laughed with giddiness. Finally, her real target had arrived, "And the prodigal demon returns at last! The most lost soul of god's little harem. I've been waiting for you, Homura Akemi. Sorry, am I stepping on your turf? I know abusing pinkie here is usually your thing".

Homura didn't dignify that, "I said, Let. Her. _GO_". Her voice was tight and ice cold.

Akari snorted, "I don't think so. I know full well the only reason you haven't attempted to kill me is because you're afraid for Madoka. So what am I gonna do? Teleport so your arrow lands between her eyes? Shatter her soul gem? Crush her windpipe before your attack hits? Or...this?" her free hand flashed, and Homura promptly jumped out of the way when she heard a noise behind her—the halberd returned to Akari's hand. Madoka noted that was the first spell she'd seen Akari actually cast, right before Akari tossed her aside and prepared to go all-out with Homura.

...And that's when Nagisa came in from the side with her hammer. The two weapons caused a shockwave on impact. Madoka's eyes widened at Nagisa's sudden appearance. So that was where she'd ran off to!

"Are you alright?" Homura asked Madoka, trying _not _to let the latter's current rather tragic state from affecting her cold demeanor.

Madoka nodded, wiping some blood from her mouth as she pulled herself up alongside the stone pillar. She was so unimaginably glad Kyoko was right: regardless of what Homura had said and done back in Skyrim, she still obviously cared. Maybe when this was done, she could finally get some answers. "I'll live. But we can't win against her. Can you and Nagisa hold her off long enough for me to get the others out of here?" It was well past time for a tactical retreat.

Homura glanced at the bodies. Sigh, "...Fine. But make it quick".

Homura turned to rejoin the fight, but Madoka called out, "This girl, Akari Izumi...she knows everything about us. Knows how we fight. Her armor is immune to magic and she can switch out enchantments on her halberd at will. Be _extremely_ careful, okay? Don't bother trying to take her down, just buy us time".

Homura nodded with a bit of hesitation, unsure of how to react to Madoka talking to and being concerned for her after their last meeting, but then leaped back into the fight. Madoka's summation of the foe was troubling—especially considering the current body count, but she'd deal with it. Madoka looked over at where Sayaka was huddled over Kyoko's body, and carefully began to limp over in that direction.

"Nagisa Momoe!" Akari crowed as she and the girl in question leaped from pillar top to pillar top, "Nine years old, formerly a magic ranged attacker, but musical instruments don't really carry over well to medieval weapons, do they?" Nagisa was put off by Akari's casual chatter, which just caused Akari to press on, "So do you count as a self-made orphan? Though I guess it's kind of a Trolly Dilemma question more than anything, since she was already moribund".

"Wha-" was all the confused, hurt response Nagisa got out before Akari took the opportunity to smash her into the ground below.

"Was the cake good, at least?"

And that was when Akari suffered her first real blow of the fight. Homura's time slow spell lit up, and the former demon impacted Akari, sending her into the dirt. Akari rolled back onto her feet, just in time for the next blow. And the next. But Akari was learning fast, and managed to grab Homura by her wrist on her next attempt, negating both her invisibility and time spells. With a savage grin, Akari began to land blow after blow on the physically weaker Homura, before letting go and charging up her halberd with golden energy and swinging it at her while she was still reeling. As Homura fell back, Nagisa jumped back into the fray. She swung her hammer which Akari parried and used the kinetic energy to flip Nagisa over herself. Nagisa flipped over and summoned her weapon's lightning enchantment.

Time to see if this was going to work.

Nagisa launched forward, another shockwave erupting as the electrified hammer met the glowing halberd.

"Hah! Figures it's the kid who's willing to get her hands dirty with soul magic. Tell me, on a scale of one to Incubator, how Kyubey do you feel right now?"

"Do you...ever stop talking!?" Nagisa asked testily as the two pushed against one another, their weapons locked. She didn't want to think about this right now!

"Poor little Nagisa, looking for a home. What _exactly _is your plan? I thought you were trying to win Mami's affection, but you're not even on speaking terms with her! And so much blood on your hands too! Or is your plan now just to spite her into an early grave like dear old mother?"

Nagisa let loose a war cry with tears in her eyes, but it was all the distraction Akari needed; in an instant she teleported behind Nagisa and her next attack brought her down. Akari leisurely pulled the yellow crystal out of its slot and replaced it with a green one.

"Good-bye, little girl".

Nagisa looked up as a multitude of green energy bolts formed around Akari, all baring down on her. Akari grinned as she pointed her weapon at the girl. Nagisa braced herself.

Homura jumped over Nagisa, landing in front of her, hands filled with a ward spell which she immediately let loose, just in time for the rain of green magic to impact off uselessly.

But the rain kept coming, and Homura had a finite magic supply.

"Homura Akemi; biologically fourteen years old. Chronologically...well, I'm not sure I can put a price tag on insanity, but I'm pretty sure the age gap here was _definitely _sinful. I know I said blueberry was the most pitiful of you lot, but you sure give her a run for her money, Ms. Cool-And-Sunglasses. Devoting your life and soul to some girl you just met because she was nice to you once? How _droll_".

Homura said nothing as she strained to keep the ward up against constant assault.

"Nothing to say? No, of course not. So dour and dedicated to 'The Mission'.What's the score these days? One hundred to zero? One hundred and one? I lost track. When are you gonna figure out you're still that weak little loser who shot her girlfriend?"

Homura refused to give her the satisfaction, ignoring the dull emotional pain. Time was critical.

"I'm starting to get why your folks left you to the nuns. You're no fun!"

"Nagisa, now!"

Akari was taken off-guard for possibly the first time, "Wait, what-"

Charged up with a spell, Nagisa's hand let loose a series of explosions all around her and Homura that completely obscured them from Akari. Akari swung her blade through the smoke, only to find nothing. Aggravated, she had to remind herself that Homura had been burning through spells since her arrival; the girl had to be running dry by now.

"I never liked hide and seek. Koji would always cheat" Akari summoned more energy bolts, this time surrounding her in all directions. They shot outwards as a sphere of destruction, firing into the various columns and ruins around her, causing a number of them to buckle and collapse. In the madness she heard a yelp of pain; Nagisa and Homura decloaked and fell back. Akari smiled, "And bingo". She closed the distance with a jump, landing right in front of them with a wide grin on her face, "I feel you, Homura. Enough about your screwups; let's talk about your _screwups_! After all, all of this is _your_ fault!"

Homura blocked Akari's incoming strike with her bow, "What are you babbling about?"

Akari glanced at Nagisa with amusement, "She didn't tell you? Quiz time: what happens when you forcibly rend a concept in two? Like say, time. What happens when you rip time in half? What would happen if time could no longer do its job properly? Or gravity? Or love? ...Or _hope_?" Homura's mind almost instantly connected the dots and a mixture of reactionary denial and dread welled up within her. She wanted to ignore Akari's mad ramblings as just that, but it made perfect, horrible sense considering everything she'd read about Nirn's metaphysics. Everything came together perfectly. Questions she'd had for months now suddenly had terrible answers.

All the incidents leading up to the end. How the universe seemed to work against her at every turn. How everything only seemed to get worse. How despair seemed to build exponentially.

All she'd wanted was for Madoka to come home, and make it so Madoka didn't have to sacrifice herself at every opportunity. All she'd done was remove a small sliver from the Law of Cycles.

It just so happened that that sliver had been the most important part.

She felt sick.

"Aaah, I can see those gears turning!" Akari said, "That's right _bucko_, you. Killed. _E__veryone_. Madoka Kaname's family, her friends and classmates, everyone she'd ever saved, the entirety of all of creation. All of her efforts, for naught. We're all here today because of _you_! Congratulations!" a dark smile, "How's it feel, knowing you tore Madoka from her throne and threw her into this meat-grinder shit-show of a world to fend for herself? Knowing that all you sacrificed, all the blood on your hands, all the years spent in your own personal hell...it was all for _nothing_?"

Homura found herself unable to offer a response. She just stared at Akari with wide eyes in a mixture of shock and absolute, unshakable dread.

This was...she hadn't...she didn't want this.

Akari pushed Homura back against a broken pillar, "Oh? Looks like I finally found the hole in your armor. Feeling a bit of regret? That's good, that's a good start. Don't worry, by the time I'm through with you, you'll have a new appreciation for that feeling. I've been waiting this whole fight for you to show up. I'm not going to kill Madoka quick. I'm going to do it slowly, painfully, and deliberately. And as I do it, you're going to watch every step, every inch as I torture her with a smile on my face. You're going to lay there, powerless and alone as you hear her screams, knowing that there is nothing you can do to ease her torment, nothing you can do to save her. You're going to lay there knowing you've already pissed away all of your chances to avoid this".

"What...why?!" Homura asked, struggling against the other girl as her figurative mask cracked, "What do you want with her?!"

"Oh, Madoka Kaname's role is important. She's going to save the world, whether she wants to or not...or, I guess her soul gem will, whatever. But you? I want you to _suffer_. I'll use Madoka's soul to lead everyone to a better existence, but you won't get to see it. I want you to lose everything, the same way you took everything from me. My mother, my father, my sister, my brother. My neighborhood. My school. Everything I left behind when the Law of Cycles came for me; everything that you destroyed while I was bleeding out on the ground after your familiars stabbed me full of needles!" The lack of recognition irritated Akari, "You don't even remember, do you? Don't worry, you'll never forget who I am ever again".

A large, black snake-like creature with a clown's face rose above the crumbling ruins with an angry face, leering down on Akari. It swung its tail, crashing into the rubble as Homura and Akari both leaped out of the way.

"Illusion magic won't help you here, little girl!" Akari crowed, launching a powerful magic blast at the false Charlotte. Nagisa cried out in pain as she was hit, immediately canceling out her spell as she tumbled. Akari turned towards a recovering Homura, "Let's get started, shall we?" she jumped away towards Madoka's last known position.

"NO!" Homura shouted with fear and panic, quickly following in pursuit.

* * *

"Can you stand?"

"Y-yeah" Sayaka said, gingerly rising with Madoka's assistance, "Sorry. I probably should have healed my legs myself, but I didn't...I wasn't..." she trailed off, a bit unsteady. She was not entirely mentally present and caked in what Madoka could only assume was Kyoko's blood, which...yikes.

"You had other things on your mind" Madoka gently agreed, glancing down at Kyoko. She was unconscious, and her situation still critical even if Sayaka had managed to stem the worst of the bleeding, "Come on, pick her up and let's get moving while Nagisa and Homura are still in fighting shape". Hopefully Homura's invisibility spell would cloak all of them; Madoka made a mental note to learn that spell herself. Madoka noticed Mami leaning against a pillar, "Are you okay?"

She nodded even as she rubbed her temples, "Concussion. Everything's spinning and bright".

"...So turns out the raid boss was a bit above our level. How do we beat her the next time she comes after us?" Sayaka was attempting to make light by recalling the games Kyoko had gotten her into before...before all this, but there was no humor in her voice. She and Madoka picked Kyoko up and got her on Sayaka's back. It wasn't easy; Sayaka's legs were still in bad shape, and it took her a moment to stand back up with the extra weight. Worse, Madoka quickly realized with a sharp wince that Akari had probably fractured her arm, making it even harder for the two of them.

As for the problem of Akari herself...that was a very good question. The fights against Ambroise had been tough, but they'd managed to wound and outsmart him even in their first attempt. But Akari...she seemed almost invincible and custom-built to defeat each of them; Thalmor super-science magic was no joke. There had to be a weakness though, somewhere. Right?

There was that moment the halberd had shorted out, and it seemed as though it was because the weapon had been overtaxed because of her constant mode-switching. A bit of a cold comfort now, however. Madoka frowned, "We'll figure that out later. Right now we just need to run. Come on!"

The group ran out of the alcove they'd been using as a shelter, out into the midst of the arena and making a mad-dash for the path back down into the cave system.

They got _so _close.

Red energy tore into the ground directly ahead of them, sending all four girls flying back and scattering as Akari stood up, her halberd wielding the red crystal once again, and a maddening glee in her eyes, "Sup, kiddos! I hope you didn't think I forgot about you!" She easily tore through the trio of injured girls, tossing them aside like dolls, "Hey Homes, you might wanna get in on this before I start removing limbs!"

Nagisa came down from behind, slamming her hammer into Akari's backside. Akari stumbled forward, then swung behind her and locked the hilt of the hammer under her weapon's blade before knocking it from Nagisa's hands. Nagisa only barely evaded the next few swipes—and then Homura flew in from above, attempting a fire spell that Akari easily dispelled with her arm which she used to guard herself.

"This has been loads of fun, but let's see if we can't wrap this up now, huh?" Akari spun her halberd around before jamming it into the dirt. Red electrical energy snaked out, grabbing each girl in turn and overtaking each of their bodies, binding and electrocuting them in the same way it had done Madoka earlier. A chorus of screams went up as each girl dropped to their hands and knees, unable to move.

Even through her pain, Homura watched in horror as Akari approached Madoka's prone body, laughing the whole while while she'd left her halberd in place. She put her foot down on Madoka's chest and drew a dagger, "You know, they had preferred I brought you to them in one piece, but really they only _need_ your soul gem!" Madoka's sudden primal fear could be seen even behind her current waves of constant pain. She struggled to do anything, move anything, but she couldn't as Akari crouched down. "So what'll it be, Homura? Which body part should I cut off first? A finger? A foot? Or should I just carve her belly up like a turkey?" she giggled, "Do you prefer white meat or dark meat?"

"NO!" Homura managed to grunt in a mixture of pain and terror. She tried to move. She tried harder than she'd ever tried before. No. No no no no no, NO NO NO NO

"Tick tock, tick tock, Homes! If you don't make a choice, I'll make one for you! Oh, I know" Akari's dagger neared Madoka's face, "How about her eyes?"

"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!" Homura screamed, unable to move and suddenly feeling far more like the quiet grief-stricken child than the heartless demon. She just wanted this to stop. Just make the never-ending nightmare _stop_.

"You killed my family. You killed everyone I ever knew. You wiped them all out in cold blood and you didn't even notice" Akari looked back at Homura with murderous intent, "Did you really think there wouldn't be consequences?!"

Time seemed to pause. Whether it was disassociation, or PTSD, or magic...Homura could no longer tell. But the moment lingered, Akari's blade over the face of a fearful Madoka, everyone else screaming in pain, and Homura unable to do anything.

Nagisa arrived on the scene, aghast at the sight of everyone else being tortured by the red energy, with Akari over Madoka's prone body.

No. Had she really come all this way just to see everyone die? What could she, the youngest and weakest of the bunch, even do?

...Akari wasn't holding her staff. It was jammed into the ground, in place as it let loose its crimson lightning. Akari also did not even notice her.

Nagisa had one shot. With a hint of hesitation she pulled out her crossbow, the one she'd gotten way back at the College, but had since upgraded with a simple 'hit harder' enchantment—one of her earliest successful experiments. She hadn't used it much, as both Mami and Homura were far better at ranged assault than she was, so she'd focused more on her war hammer, but right now she needed precision.

Akari's face was open and unguarded.

The mad girl laughed maniacally, one hand on Madoka's throat and the other holding her blade, "I am a one-woman Walpurgisnacht! Unstoppable and inevitable! I am the storm, I am the Dawn! I'm going to take _everything_ from you, Homura, and just like before, there is _nothing you can_-"

The arrow struck her left eye dead-on. Akari's uncontrollable laughter immediately folded into an agonizing scream as the force of the shot knocked her back. She backed into her halberd which toppled over onto the ground, its spell shorting out. Akari was screaming, crying, sobbing as her hands shook, cradling around where her eye had once been.

Her eye was gone. It was _gone_. Akari could barely _think. _She needed...she needed to get out. All thoughts of vengeance evaporated instantly. Where...where was her halberd?

Even in her blood-haze and agonizing pain, Akari recognized she was quickly being surrounded as the other girls were slowly getting to their feet. Even in their current state, with Akari was she was they had a decent chance of overpowering her. She...she needed her halberd.

She clutched her former eye as she suffered almost deliriously, barely even able to see out of the other right now.

"...Madoka, her weapon!" Sayaka called out, pointing to the dropped halberd. Hers, Nagisa's, and Homura's eyes all immediately went to where Sayaka was pointing. Homura was closer.

"NO!" Akari roared with a mixture of desperation and anger at being outflanked so suddenly. She couldn't lose the halberd; Quorarion would never forgive her for letting such cutting-edge equipment fall into enemy hands—never mind she wasn't sure she'd make it out of here without it.

With near-animalistic instinct, the wounded girl summoned her weapon to her, just as Homura had almost grasped the halberd and then swung wildly and blindly, trying to keep the others at bay. It succeeded, but only because they were all too wounded already and unsteady.

"NOT TODAY!" with one hand on her eye and her other gripping her weapon, Akari jammed it onto the ground again...only to have it sputter and spark. She'd overloaded it again. Her remaining eye widened in realization. No, not _now!_

"...Well, this isn't...quite what I was hoping for" Akari grunted, trying to laugh through the rage and pain. She kept her halberd at the ready even as she slouched a bit, keeping the others at bay as she backed away from them—her saving grace being that they were barely standing and most had lost their weapons in the fight. "How about we call it a draw?"

Homura stepped forward, but Akari pulled her hand away from her eye and into her pouch with a feral grin, "No, no, that's not how this works little girl!" Akari pulled out a black Tamrielic soul gem, filled with something dark and writhing within and with the shimmering effect of a silence spell covering it. It took Homura a second to connect the dots, but both she and the other girls soon looked on in horror at what the crystal represented. "Ah good, you're quick on the uptake. I was afraid my breadcrumbs would be too subtle. I know it's rude for the host to bow out of a fight; but don't think I'm leaving you without a present! This guy was a Bosmer rebel the Thalmor caught a few months back. One of my older experiments, I hope you like him!"

"NO!" Homura shouted as Akari threw the soul gem as hard as she could against the ground. It shattered on impact, dark tendrils of energy exploding out in all directions as the world shimmered and _shifted_.

Akari waved before running deeper into the growing labyrinth while clutching her wound, "I'll see you losers in Necrom!"

Large, lush trees with trunks made of bone and stone rose out of the dirt, a thick otherworldly jungle taking the place of the volcanic landscape and blocking anyone from tailing Akari...and then it began to _burn_, and a large shadowed figure with deer antlers rose up. No, not shadowed; night. As he towered over the canopy Homura could clearly see the stars of the night sky in his silhouette; unmoving even as he shifted, as if he was a hole in the world. With a mournful roar he pointed at the sextet, commanding the forest to attack. Out of the woods came animals of all sorts, all seemingly made out of clay and moving as if by stop-motion film, and all on the attack.

Homura turned to Madoka, who was currently helping the others back on their feet, "MOVE!"

Madoka needed no further encouragement. She pushed the others onwards, but turned back to Homura, "Are you coming?"

Homura said nothing, instead taking her bow and aiming at the oncoming herd. She winced—her side had been wounded in the fight, and now found she couldn't aim properly.

"Homura!" Madoka shouted in alarm. Without a second thought she grabbed Homura's wrist and pulled her away—to which Homura could only manage a tiny, embarrassed gasp.

They'd fight this witch another day

* * *

No one stopped until they reached the cave and the relative safety of the Ebonheart militia.

Sayaka was just handing Kyoko over to the mages when she noticed who Madoka was dragging with her into the cave. Her body tensed in a mixture of fear and hate even as both it and her mind were on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, "Woah, what the hell is she still doing here?!" She began to march over with Madoka only just beginning to realize what she'd allowed to have happen and that it was already too late to decide otherwise; the avalanche had already begun.

"Wait, we just want to talk!" Nagisa yelped, stepping between Sayaka and Homura. Mami and Madoka tensed at the stand-off, while Sayaka glanced at Madoka who was pleading with her eyes. The blue-haired girl stepped back, only just slightly, her fists clenched. Despite the hiccups (Sayaka and Mami being present, Kyoko being wounded-in-action) Nagisa still gave Homura a wide, encouraging smile and a thumbs up, who in turn seemed caught off-guard. She wasn't intending this here, not now. She wasn't ready. She hadn't prepared. It felt like those early loops, thrown into a situation she had no context for. She cleared her throat, knowing she needed to keep it together.

It wasn't going to work anyway, and Nagisa was about to learn what Homura had known for a decade.

"You need to stop this quest of yours" Homura said bluntly to Madoka. Mami and Sayaka looked at her with a mixture of disdain and bewilderment at the demand. Was she serious? Madoka was just plain bewildered.

"I'm...sorry, what?" Madoka asked in confusion, wondering if she'd just misheard, "I don't quite understand". Why would she ever stop?

"This quest. It needs to end" Homura reiterated, "I can't allow you to sacrifice yourself for everyone else again. This can't go on".

Silence hung. Sayaka almost marched forward to strangle the girl for the sheer audacity, but Mami held out her arm to bar her, giving Sayaka a very concerned and uncertain look.

Mami really hadn't had time or a reason to think about this, even as the memories had been slowly seeping in over the past month, but the fight with Akari had suddenly brought it to the forefront and now seeing Homura for the first time since gaining some of those memories…

Homura had once been just like her other students, hadn't she? Timid, demure, glasses, braids.

Just like the False Mitakihara.

A girl so desperate for approval and validation, who joined herself to Mami and Madoka so fast.

Yet now here she was: the fallen demon, the girl who had destroyed the world and everyone in it after undoing the natural order. The girl who had hurt Sayaka for trying to correct that, and then tore her entire would-be family apart in Skyrim with a few simple words seemingly for no other reason than to show that she could.

And as much as Mami hated her for that, as much as Mami desperately wanted to be just as furious and ready to force her away from those she loved…

She couldn't help but wonder if this was _her _fault. Like Sayaka and Madoka, she'd let Homura in. She hadn't tried to keep her away from being a magical girl because she'd been so desperate for friends. And Homura's wish…

It had destroyed the poor girl, and created something far worse in her place.

Madoka's mouth moved as she tried to come up with a suitable reply, but found her mouth stumbling over itself in a mixture of confusion, concern, and being put on the spot. Homura was here. She was right _here_. And she was...telling her to give up on everyone. Quit and let the Princes have their way.

"...Homura" she said sadly, shaking her head, "I can't just abandon everyone. The universe is counting on us. I just...why would you even want me to? Don't you want to go home?"

Homura scowled, then sighed. Of course. It was as she'd expected. Even after everything, Madoka would never accept anything else. She simply could not be stopped. And Homura wasn't even sure why she'd even let Nagisa drag her into this. When she spoke again, she looked beyond Madoka towards the far wall, almost speaking past her, "...Even now, after all this, you still will not relent. You still will not give up, even when presented with a normal life".

Madoka offered an awkward smile, "Well...of course not" an awkward laugh, "People are counting on me. How could I let them down?"

Homura regarded Madoka, her mind running through all the arguments she'd put forth a hundred times before, all of them ignored and cast aside and...

"She gave you her answer" Sayaka snarled when Homura remained planted where she was, but she remained where Mami kept her in place. Homura ignored her.

Madoka sighed, "Homura, what is all of this about? Why do you keep acting out? Is..." she hesitated, ashamed, "...Did I do something? Are you angry at me?"

"What?" Homura was thrown off-balance by the sudden turn, "No, I'm not..." She'd abandoned her. She'd forced her to make a promise, refusing to let her die, and then she'd foiled her at every turn.

No. It wasn't Madoka's fault. It was because she wasn't good enough. Madoka was asking her to save her from herself, in one of the few moments of lucidity she'd ever had.

"...I'm not angry at you" Homura whispered hoarsely, pushing down all the bad thoughts that threatened to bubble up, everything that only further made her a horrible, terrible creature.

Madoka sighed, relieved. She hesitantly extended her hand, "Why not just come with us then? Help me fix this; I know you're not really a bad person, no matter what you say" she flashed a smile and extended her hand, "And I could _really _use your help".

It was so inviting. Homura just...she wanted to take her hand. Wanted to pretend it would all be alright. Wrap her in a hug, forget her sins and crimes and take on the world side-by-side.

Homura stepped back. She would not. It would only end in Madoka ending herself once more. Like always. Inviting her in, just to abandon her. A false promise, a false salvation. She couldn't trust her.

Madoka's face fell at Homura's rejection and her hand fell by her side. Still Homura remained cold to her. What had she done to hurt her so bad? "...Homura..."

"...So what would you even propose we do?" Mami asked, curious but with a cautious edge to her voice. She would not trust Homura one bit, not at this point, but she was still interested in what she might say because truth be told, she didn't even understand Homura's goals here. Did Homura even have a plan, or was she just blindly lashing out? "You won't come with us, you won't work with us, you tried to break one of the shards, and now you're telling us flat-out to give up and let the Daedric Princes win. You aren't leaving us with a lot of options".

Homura glanced around, swallowing at this moment of truth. Nagisa, looking hopeful and on-edge. Madoka, confused. Mami, awaiting her answer. Miki, pissed off as always. The assorted Dunmer, watching in curiosity and confusion at the drama.

"...I'll do it" Homura said at last, looking to Madoka, "Let me. I'll rebuild the world. I'll become the Law of Cycles".

Sayaka laughed, almost hysterically as fear trickled in at the thought of Homura once again attaining godhood, "What? You can't be serious. After all that, give you the keys again? You're out of your damned mind!"

Mami stepped forward with disapproval. Regardless of how much Homura might be her fault, Mami could not allow the same mistake that had gotten them here to repeat itself, "You _destroyed _our world. After everything you've done, after what you did to us both there and here...why on Earth would you think we would _ever _trust you enough to agree?"

Sayaka pushed forward, finally having had enough of being silent while Homura was treated as anything remotely like someone worth listening to, "Because she's a crazed, power-mad despot who thinks she can do whatever she pleases!"

"Sayaka, please!" Madoka pleaded, getting between them while Mami tried to hold her back.

"Just let her explain!" Nagisa called out, but was entirely ignored as the conversation quickly veered south.

But Sayaka wasn't having any of it and pushed Mami's grip aside, "NO! I'm tired of everyone covering for her and _literal _genocide!" she glared at the Demon directly, "We're not your toys! You can't just wind us up and make us do what you want!"

No, toys were better behaved, Homura thought, but had the sense not to say it. For the first time, Homura gave Sayaka her attention—a disinterested yet disdainful look, "Are you really so callous you don't care at all about the burdens Madoka has to suffer because of you?" she asked darkly.

The bluenette sputtered with _rage_. Again, here was good-old-Transfer-Student, speaking in cryptic overwrought nonsense that only made sense to her. "...Suffer? Me? We tried to save you and you _tore her apart!" _she shouted.

Homura finally snapped and shouted back as the fever hit its pitch, aggravated that no one ever seemed to get it, "_I didn't ASK to be saved!" _She didn't want Madoka's salvation! She didn't want eternal slumber knowing Madoka had to give herself up! She just wanted her _home god damn it _and every time she pushed for her goal everything just got _worse._

"...Homura" Madoka gasped, unsure of how to take this. Rejection stabbed her gut.

Sayaka growled, "No, you just wanted to sit on your throne and treat us like your dolls!"

"That's not true!" Nagisa shouted back, stepping between them and _forcing _the others to acknowledge her.

"She locked me in a cage with a bunch of wraiths!" Sayaka lashed out, "She...she..." Sayaka searched for the right word. _Memories torn from her mind against her will; her connection to the Law of Cycles forcibly severed, her abilities locked away. Homura smiling the whole time __as she felt it all happening__ and she couldn't do anything- _"She _violated _me! Took from me without consent!" she pleaded with Madoka, "Please. Madoka-" Sayaka cracked, any anger evaporating.

Madoka gently put her hand on the troubled girl's shoulder, "It's going to be alright. Trust me, okay?" Sayaka nodded numbly, to which Madoka repeated more firmly, "Okay?" Inwardly Madoka winced. She was quickly beginning to realize just how much work she was going to have to put in to get these two back on speaking terms, if that was even possible. After the past month or so, she was beginning to realize how naive she'd been.

"...I'm sorry" Sayaka whispered with remorse, letting out a shaky sigh. Here she was, making a mess again. She was absolutely spent, and Madoka knew it—she wasn't far behind herself as she could tell by her own jittering hand. They all were. They had no business having this discussion right now.

Homura looked away. She had no business here. They were better off without her around, guiding them from a distance. This whole argument was just making things worse.

"Look, It's...been a _really_ bad day" Madoka said, "Why don't we all go back to Ebonheart and talk about this? Okay?" They were going to figure this out. They were going to fix this. Madoka was going to take everyone, Homura included, back to the city where they could regroup and just...hash everything out. As long as it took, as many hushed meetings as there there needed to be. She turned, "Homura-"

No one was there. Madoka was crestfallen. She had been so close.

"...She left" Redaar said, "While none of you were looking. Turned invisible and I guess walked out". The girls all stared at where the former member of their group had once stood, none really sure of what to do now or how to process that. Sayaka looked away, wishing she was anywhere else right now. Madoka rubbed her arm, worried and just _baffled._

After a moment though, Mami figured out what she needed to do. Wobbly and unsteady, she stumbled over to Nagisa with a flurry of emotions, not the least of which was pure unrestrained relief, "Nagisa. Are you alright?! Have you been okay?! When you wandered off and I...I thought you were..." she knelt down and embraced Nagisa in a tight hug, "Thank goodness".

Nagisa didn't hug back. Mami noticed this and let go, a look of confusion and hurt on her face, "...Nagisa?" The child looked away, forlorn.

"She left" Nagisa said quietly, despondent. Homura had left her, just like everyone else. She'd been told it was an alliance of convenience, but she'd bonded with Homura anyway. And now she was being thrown back to Madoka and the others, where she didn't belong. Where she was the odd girl out; the newcomer, the interloper, the traitor. She was adrift and lost. Akari had said things she'd been trying to ignore: she'd done all of this for a chance at a normal life, but what did a normal life even entail? Her family was dead. Even if they restored the world they would remain dead. Whenever she thought of a normal life, subconsciously she would immediately draw herself to Mami, or maybe Kyoko, but they didn't have the same illusions. She was fighting Mami for that right to exist, and Kyoko had made it clear she wasn't interested.

Worse, Nagisa knew _exactly _where Homura was headed now that the whole plan had fallen apart right in front of them.

...And there was no longer anything she could do about it.

She glanced at Mami with a hint of bitterness, "...Why didn't you just _listen_ to her?"

* * *

She'd known from the beginning that Nagisa's plan was hopeless, and had only ever agreed with it to get the girl to leave her alone—which was why she hadn't bothered to put in more than a token effort. She'd learned long ago that diplomacy got her nowhere. None of those girls ever wavered from their course, not once. And united?

There had never been a real chance, and Homura was tired of pretending otherwise. Madoka's outburst of near-divinity in Silgrad had been the real tipping point, and everything that had followed had, in retrospect, simply been delaying the inevitable.

If there was one thing she'd learned in all her years in the loops after all, it was that she could only trust herself.

Homura exited the caves as night began to fall, the rivers of lava that poured down the slopes of Ash Mountain easily visible by their crimson glow. She'd left Nagisa behind—there was nothing more the girl could do for her and she was too good of a person for Homura to include her in what came next.

"**You have made your decision, then" **Molag Bal's voice echoed. Before her on a rock sat his Bow of Destruction, the artifact he'd crafted from his own essence just for her—a bow and shield combo reminiscent of her old magical girl weapons.

She was a monster. She had hurt Madoka's friends, she had destroyed the world just as she had told Miki she would. She had ruined everything. There was no forgiveness, no salvation, no place in Madoka's light. She was a failure, a traitor, a demon.

But she was also a force to be reckoned with and she would not be denied. She had turned the Incubators' system against them and laid them low. She had torn god apart, recreated a person who had ceased to exist, and reorganized the cosmic order through sheer force of will. Here, now, she would do it again. Molag Bal needed her within the Mundus to act as his hands. She would; with his knowledge and power she would take the Mundus for her own. And then, with this world under her command and her divinity restored, she would force Molag Bal to kneel to her. And Sheogorath, and Methrunes Dagon, and Azura, and Meridia, and all the rest of the Princes of Oblivion. All these chaotic forces that could not and would never be trusted.

She would not allow _anyone _to harm Madoka, least of all other gods. So she would play Molag Bal's game for now, and then when the time was right she would rise above him as she had all her other foes, and take the entire Aurbis for her own.

She would give Madoka her happy ending. It didn't matter how many more times she had to damn herself to do so.

* * *

Above, Sheogorath watched, arms folded, with a mixture of disgust and irritation. Molag Bal had successfully outplayed him; something that didn't happen particularly often. He supposed he'd gotten a bit cocky in all this. Blame the once-mortal wearing him like a fine suit. Except this time the cost had been high; possibly too high.

"**You let her go"**.

The Madgod turned. A ghostly white stag stood behind him, watching curiously. Sheogorath rolled his eyes and groaned, "You're still here?"

"**I was curious as to how your hunt would proceed. Your intentions often baffle me, mad one. You let your quarry slip through your claws. You did not even attempt to make a counter-offer".**

"...Should have brought Sanguine as my second. At least then I'd be piss drunk right now" Sheogorath muttered. What a shit show. He spoke up, "I didn't let her go" he stuck his hand forward, only to have his finger shocked—and noticeably _not _from the tonal barrier, "From the moment she entered the city, Molag Bal's influence has prevented me from getting close. Imagine that; claiming her before she even agreed. Presumptive little shit". Anyway, it was her choice, and such foolishness was in his nature. How could ol' Uncle Sheo begrudge the girl for Poor Life Choices? He actually found this rather amusing, aside from the whole 'the Aurbis was likely doomed' part.

"**He overpowered you so easily?"** Hircine asked curiously. Sheogorath had certainly lost power when Jyggalag had escaped his curse, but for him to be outright outwitted so easily…

"Hmm" Sheogorath replied, troubled. Molag Bal shouldn't have been this powerful. "Tell me, oh antlered one, have any of the other Princes managed to crack open any of the world shards?"

"**Not to my knowledge, no. Not from lack of trying of course, but they are Locked from us. Likely a parting effort from the Law of Cycles"** a pause, **"...You think Molag Bal has found a way"**. There was a hint of uncharacteristic...apprehension in his voice. As if a god could feel fear.

Sheogorath's scowl deepened, "Leave it to the lord of violation to ruin a good time". He had no proof of course, he was going to need to look into a few things. But the hypothesis was solid enough to be troubling.

"**What will you do now?"**

"Balls might have gotten one over on me this time, but he's also so terribly predictable" Sheogorath eyed the mountain where Madoka still resided, "I still have cards to play. Never count me out until Malacath sings. What about you?"

Hircine considered the situation for a moment, **"...I am the hunt. If I am no longer the hunter, then I am the hunted and I must act accordingly"**.

"Boring as ever" Sheogorath said to the stag, "Good luck, I suppose".

"**And to you, Madgod"**. The stag turned, and then with one last look back at the battle fled the scene.

* * *

With a faint scowl and his hands clasped behind his back, Quoararion walked down the truly ancient stone hallways of the complex beneath what had once been Crystal-Like-Law, welkynd stones casting a soft blue light on the masonry. He was in perfect lockstep with himself until he entered the room of healing where a pair of Bosmer mages were patching up a bitter and irritated Akari. She was hunched over on a bench with bandages wrapped over where her eye had been.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Healing" one of the Bosmer said, "She'll be up and ready within a day or two". Quoararion nodded to them and, taking the hint, the mages left the two of them. He looked down at his subordinate disapprovingly, but she didn't even bother meeting his gaze.

"You failed".

"The little bitch caught me by surprise" Akari snarled, "It wasn't my fault".

Quoararion's mouth tightened. He began to pace, "Your orders were to apprehend Madoka Kaname and her friends, and then apprehend Homura Akemi and her companion. You isolated them from outside help specifically so you would not be overwhelmed or risk being outflanked. Instead you decided to face all six of them at once".

"Akemi got there before I could wrap things up!"

"You could have ended that battle within minutes!" Quoararion snapped, "Instead you decided to play with your food so you could enact your little revenge scheme. And don't bother denying it" he said, waving off her protests before she could voice it, "I saw the whole thing. Your orders were to bring Kaname back in one piece—you were going to deliberately disobey me. Instead you put the entire operation in danger by risking a flare-up by the Law of Cycles...or perhaps her counterpart". Akari said nothing, but returned to staring at the wall in petulant anger as she gripped the chair more tightly. Quoararion continued, "Next time, I will hope you remember that childish theatrics will get you nowhere. Rest up; I need to back in the field creating more witches". He turned to leave.

"...What about my eye?" Akari asked suddenly, "When are the mages going to regrow it?"

Quoararion stopped, "They're not".

Akari's mouth dropped as she stood up, "What?! I can't do what you need me to do like this!" He was going to leave her ugly and disfigured and disabled!?

"We will make allowances for your..._condition_" Quoararion said, turning back, "But I think this will act as a good lesson in humility; your actions have consequences. More than that, life is suffering. You should think about that moving forward, if you are still more concerned with petty revenge instead of paradise".

"...We still got part of what we wanted" Akari grumbled dejectedly.

"In _spite _of your actions, not because of them" the Altmer said, "And now we owe Molag Bal". He sighed; the Daedra of domination was not an ally he intended to keep for long: as soon as he had what he wanted, he would turn on the Daedra. But now that Bal had Homura Akemi, the game had just gotten trickier. "You may be a valuable asset, but make no mistake: I will _not_ allow you to endanger this operation again. Are we clear?"

"...Yes" Akari grumbled. Quoararion nodded, and left the room to plot new continuances now that the plan had hit a snag. He paused once more at the doorway.

"...Know that your actions have cost you more than you think. Your attack today was one of surprise; that advantage is now lost forever. They know you exist, they know your advantages and your methods. Madoka Kaname _will _adapt; we have all seen through her memories that despite appearances she is above all else _clever_ and has a talent for fast and unexpected solutions—and despite your opinions of her companions, none of them are slow learners either. Plan accordingly the next time you meet".

When Quoararion entered the hallway he was quickly joined by two others—a large Paher-raht breed of Khajiit who towered over him, and a Dunmer woman in tattered robes and armor.

"Ah, Admiral Za'tabe, Hortator Miretha Sadras. I trust everything is going according to plan?"

"Ms. Akemi is currently dispatching the witch atop Ash Mountain and we will soon be expecting Molag Ball to be dropping her off at House Sadras Resistance Headquarters" Miretha said, "Though we'll need far more witches for the next stage of our plans in Black Marsh. Without them we have no chance of overthrowing House Redoran or joining the Aldmeri Dominion".

"Akari Izumi will be back in the field shortly, do not worry" Quorarion said, "In the meantime, we have other matters to attend to. Kaname remains free".

Miretha rubbed her chin, "I expect you have a plan to deal with her?"

"I do, yes. Meet me in my office in an hour; I'll convene a meeting with the rest of our circle. Contingencies must be put into place before we miss our chance. We are too close to miss the mark now".

Miretha nodded, "House Sadras will be there. Is there anything else?"

"No, that will be all for now" Quorarion said. Miretha nodded and walked away. The Altmer frowned as she left, "...Simple Dunmer. Only ever concerned about material goals. Petty squabbles over House politics and petty feuds. It is no wonder they degraded so far as a people after leaving Alinor behind". He sighed, then turned to his other companion, the two-person-tall tiger-man, "...A problem, Admiral?"

Za'tabe grunted, "This is a waste of time and resources. Molag Bal? Akaviri gods? Dunmer? With the Empire dead and gone, we should be pressing forward on all fronts, not skulking in the dark".

"For someone with such an excellent grasp on tactics, you are certainly impatient" Quorarion said calmly, running his hand across his desk, "Have no fear; the Council will still have their glorious 'Last War'. How is that progressing, anyhow?"

"Bravil has been surrounded, but the Nibenese navy continues to supply them by water, and we have not yet been able to neutralize their fleet in battle. Dominion number-crunchers expect they'll be able to hold up in the city for several months, if not years. Without it, we have little hope of aiming for the bigger prize".

"...The Imperial City" Quorarion groaned with a sigh, "White-Gold would be a perfect target if it wasn't deactivated. We would need to find a new stone to power it, and we already have plans for Kaname's soul. No, no. Ada-Mantia, the Ur-Tower is the only Tower remaining active and the only one suitable for our purposes, but still the Council refuses to see the bigger picture because they are obsessed with their symbolic victory". The mer hummed to himself, "Do not worry. Akari has been a fantastic field tester, and while our equipment for her is prohibitively expensive and far too volatile for mass production, it's doing wonders for our development cycle. Soon we'll be pumping out new equipment for our troops like we're the second coming of the Dwemer". He turned to the Admiral, "Have no fear; I expect Bravil will fall due time, this sideshow in Cyrodiil will finally come to an end, and we can finally turn our attention to our real goals".

Za'tabe grunted, "We shall see. The Council is becoming wary of your pet projects and misplaced budgets".

"...Do they suspect anything?"

"This one does not assume so, no".

Quorarion nodded with a faint smile, "I grant them results. As long as I continue to, they won't do a thing. And in the end, they'll thank us when we drag them out of their endless quests for past glories and into a new, brighter era. A pan-Aldmer empire? The subjugation and eventual extinction of humanity? A return to the Merethic Era? Peh. What are kings and emperors to the godhead itself? Why bother with the Merethic when we could have the Dawn?" he paused, backing off of his would-be rant, "Was there anything else?"

Za'tabe nodded with a "No, sir" and left, leaving Quorarion to walk back to his office alone.


	25. Author's note

I've spent the last couple days doing a lot of thinking.

When I wrapped up book one, I was excited and happy and I was finally done with all the buildup and was doing the stuff I'd wanted to do with this fic. Except instead of triumph all I could do was look back at how meandering and unsteady and unrelenting book one was. But after some thinking I decided to press on and just work all that much harder on making book two amazing. I had an absolute blast writing the last chapter; loved the fuck out of it. I was proud of it. I thought I was finally hitting my stride.

The reactions on the various sites I post at were...mixed, and I can't entirely disagree with them? And it's not like it's just surface-level stuff I can just rewrite in this chapter. This chapter in a lynchpin in the story going forward, and if this is all based on a false premise...

Every time I think I've got something really good in this fic I've only felt dread and anxiety afterwards as I realized I fumbled the whole damn thing. I don't think I'm having fun, and I can't look at my outline of what's coming without being hyper-critical and...I don't know. Maybe I'm gaslighting myself. Or maybe this was too ambitious for my skills. Or maybe this was just a bad idea to begin with. I can't tell anymore.

I've put up a full readable version of my outline on SpaceBattles. You can tell me whether or not it was worth a damn. I'm stepping away; I don't know if I'm coming back or not. If not, then at least you can get some closure this way.

I'm sorry.


End file.
